FedEx Corp has released its statement on the Kansas Supreme Court ruling on their drivers, that are employees and not independent contractors, that it is no longer observed since 2011.
The courier posted on its site that it has changed the drivers from contractual to direct employees. The Kansas court ruling has been over a decade issue with previous and recent drivers who are fighting for pay on their overtime and expenses they spent on the job.
"We strongly disagree with the released ruling and promised to protect the rights of independent entrepreneurs to continue to run their own enterprises," according to the courier company
The Kansas high court released its decision last 3rd of October to respond to the request of US Court of Appeals in Chicago, which wanted clarification as it goes through a ruling under 2010 by the federal judge in Indiana. The judge confirmed with the courier company that the drivers are not considered as employees. The drivers are under the case in 21 combined lawsuits.
The court of appeals can utilize the Kansas Supreme Court decision to overrule the ruling of 2010 in favor of FedEx. The Indiana judge, who was presiding the cases of the drivers from all over the US, had made the decision on the Kansas drivers similar to other cases in other states too.
The substance of the employee's connection with the company will not surpass by those efforts, as the court explained of the employees under the Kansas regulation.
The decision goes by an August ruling under the US Court of Appeals in San Francisco. The court overruled the 2010 ruling by the judge from Indiana and confirmed that the drivers of FedEx in Oregon and California are employed under the company.
