JOBS | Is Uber Driver an Employee? Yes and No.

Taxi Union Drivers Protest Über.

Is an Über driver an employee?

• California says yes.
• East Hampton says yes.
• Über says no.

The California Labor Commission has decided that a person who drives for Über is an employee, not a contractor. This has possible implications for Über's operations in other states, and for other emerging services such as Lyft, TaskRabbit, and Homejoy.

The June 3 ruling became better known on Tuesday when Über appealed it in a filing in state court in San Francisco, where the company and driver in the case are based.

Meanwhile, the Town of East Hampton, N.Y. is exasperated with Über drivers who ignore new laws requiring drivers and companies they work for to be licensed with a local office. The word Über in the company's name, from the Town's perspective, seems to translate to "Above the Law". The Town is going after 23 Über drivers and is said to be seeking jail time for them.