Uber, Lyft sued in California over alleged wage theft

A California agency is suing Uber and Lyft over alleged wage theft, saying the ride-hailing companies have misclassified drivers as independent contractors.

The state’s Department of Industrial Relations announced Wednesday that the Labor Commissioner’s Office filed separate lawsuits against the two California-based companies over their classification of drivers.

“The Uber and Lyft business model rests on the misclassification of drivers as independent contractors,” said California Labor Commissioner Lilia García-Brower in a statement. “This leaves workers without protections such as paid sick leave and reimbursement of drivers’ expenses, as well as overtime and minimum wages.”

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