Lowe’s $10 Million Settlement Provides 3 Lessons For Firms Working With Independent Contractors

“Another Fortune 500 titan, another misclassification lawsuit. Lowe’s became the latest company this week to settle a legal dispute over the classification of its independent contractors. The home improvement outfit joined the likes of Google, FedEx and Uber, all who have been mired in similar controversies over the last year.

Earlier this week, a federal court judge approved a settlement between Lowe’s Home Centers and a class of its home improvement contractors. The contractors claimed that they had been misclassified as independent contractors instead of employees.

According to the lawsuit:

The plaintiffs in this case are home improvement contractors comprised of both individuals and businesses. The complaint alleged that Lowe’s had the right to control, and did control, all aspects of installation jobs.

The Lowe’s settlement gives us yet another chance to reflect on the growing trend of misclassification. More importantly, it allows us to highlight 3 key lessons every business should consider when working with an independent contractor.

To read the full Forbes article written by Work Market Co-Founder and President Jeff Wald, click here.