Attorneys for Amazon and the state will face off before the Wisconsin Supreme Court over whether some of the delivery drivers in the tech behemoth’s Logistics division are considered Amazon employees or independent contractors.
The difference is not merely semantics. If the drivers are found to be employees, as the state Department of Workforce Development believes them to be, Amazon would be hit with a tax bill topping over $200,000.
If the court sides with Amazon, the determination that the drivers are independent contractors could serve as a major win for Wisconsin’s business community. Either way, the ruling will likely affect other services, such as Uber, Instacart or Door Dash, that have become ubiquitous in Wisconsin.
“Six of the nine criteria must be met to classify someone is an independent contractor. In the case of Amazon, DWD and the Labor and Industry Review Commission found only one of those conditions was satisfied, ultimately ruling the company must pay over $205,000 in back taxes from 2016 to 2018.”
Sounds like some tough sledding for 'zon. I’m tired of companies abusing the “independent contractors” to avoid paying workers.
Wow, I thought it was only 3 criteria… Guess that’s why I’m not a lawyer. Well now I know better so thanks for teaching me.
And what is $200K to amazon, it’s not even pocket change to them, it’s the lint in their pockets, won’t hurt them in the slightest.