However, that being said this is ridiculous! Having employees would completely change what Uber is about. Uber is a platform not a taxi company.
Uber drivers right now can:
* choose their own schedules
* turn down customers they don't want
* just stop working with Uber with no notice
All things that most employees can't do.
1. Finance cars for their drivers; 2. Provide the legal interpretation of federal/state/county/local laws and regulations to its drivers; 3. Provide the actual tools (except the car) to complete the work; 4. Provide training for drivers; 5. Pay bonuses to drive specific hours and/or in specific locations/jurisdictions
All things that most companies can't do with independent contractors?
Actually, they can't. If you reject more than a certain percentage of customers, Uber bans you from the platform.
Some Uber drivers have taken to getting around this by accepting the request and then fraudulently cancelling with "rider requested cancel" as the reason.
When Uber started cracking down on that, a bunch of entitled fraudsters threw a fit and claimed Uber was using "intimidation tactics": http://therideshareguy.com/uber-deactivated-a-bunch-of-drive...
That was the moment when I learned how many drivers are actively out to screw over everyone else: both Uber and the customers. So whenever I see Uber drivers protesting or threatening legal action, I laugh at them.
Uber doesn't get to decide what it is and what it isn't. That's not how laws and regulations work. Uber markets itself as something , it is just marketing, it doesn't influence Uber legal status or Uber drivers status. If a judge decides Uber drivers are employees then the latest will be entitled to there rights as employees, Uber can do nothing about it.