California Uber Law Threatens the Gig Economy
A majority of drivers like working as independent contractors, so why force them to become employees?
Will Uber drivers become employees or not?
Photographer: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images
My first Uber ride was Aug. 8th, 2014. I was picked up by Hipolito in a brand-new Toyota Camry that still had the new car smell. He had bottles of water and candy for my enjoyment. Uber Technologies Inc. was still relatively new, so I quizzed him on what it was like to be a driver. He loved it. And the thing he loved most was that he was able to make his own schedule.
Hipolito was not an employee of Uber; he was a 1099, an independent contractor – his own boss. He didn’t have a schedule. He also, crucially, didn’t have company-provided health insurance or other such benefits, but for all I knew Hipolito had it through his spouse. We chatted a bit before he cheerfully retrieved my bags from the trunk after we reached my destination and sent me on my way.