"The company takes the position, as a lot of gig companies do, that their workers are independent contractors, each running their own very, very small business, as opposed to employees who have rights.

"And this distinction matters, because basically all of our workplace laws, whether it's minimum wage or unemployment insurance or safety and health, all of these laws protect employees, but they don't protect independent contractors."

https://fair.org/home/gig-companies-take-the-position-their-workers-arent-employees-who-have-rights/