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Navigating the Employee v. Independent Contractor Landscape in a Post-Dynamex World

3/25/19

By: Ariel Brotman

In a post-Dynamex world, hiring entities are finding it increasingly difficult to determine whether or not to classify a worker as an independent contractor or an employee.
On April 30, 2018, the California Supreme Court issued its decision in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles. The Court established an ABC test requiring all parts to be met in order to classify a worker as an independent contractor. A hiring entity must prove: “(A) that the worker is free from the control and direction of the hirer in connection with the performance of the work, both under the contract for the performance of the work and in fact and (B) that the worker performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business and (C) that the worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation or business of the same nature as that involved in the work performed.” (Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles (2018) 4 Cal.5th 903, 957.) 
The applicability of this seemingly strict ABC test was clarified in Garcia v. Border Tranportation LLC (2018) 28 Cal.App.5th 558. On October 22, 2018, the Court of Appeal released its opinion on Garcia v. Border Transportation Group, LLC. In Border Transportation, Plaintiff Garcia, a taxi driver, filed a complaint against Border Transportation Group, LLC for wrongful termination, overtime, waiting time penalties, unfair competition and various wage order claims based on his alleged misclassification as an independent contractor. Border Transportation filed a motion for summary judgment arguing that under the Borello test, which largely focuses on control, Garcia was properly classified as an independent contractor. The trial court agreed with Border Transportation. Garcia appealed the ruling granting the motion for summary judgment, and while the appeal was pending, the California Supreme Court released its opinion on Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court.
The Court of Appeal ultimately decided that in determining a worker’s status as an independent contractor, Dynamex only applies to wage order claims. As to all non-wage order claims, Borello remains the proper standard.  (Garcia v. Border Transportation LLC (2018) 28 Cal.App.5th 558, 570-71). Therefore, summary adjudication should not have been granted as to Garcia’s wage order claims but was proper as to his non-wage order claims.
Overall, although the Supreme Court has not ruled at this time, the Court of Appeal in Garcia v. Border Transportation LLC has provided an important exception to the strict Dynamex ABC test as it pertains to non-wage order claims. We will be paying close attention to further developments in the interpretation of this important exception.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Ariel Brotman at abrotman@fmglaw.com.