The good reverend and crooner Al Green was “so tired of being alone,” but he sang it in a way that made me want to keep listening. Stay solo, Rev. Al. On a more somber note, The Motels’ song, Only the Lonely is depressing. Why can only the lonely play? Everyone should be able to play.

Blogging can be a lonely endeavor. Bloggers write and push out content, hoping people will read. Fortunately for me it’s just a side gig, but for many it’s a way of life.

A lawsuit involving bloggers at SB Nation serves as a reminder that bloggers’ status as independent contractors is subject to challenge. In this case, three blogger/site managers allege that, despite their independent contractor agreements (Blogger Agreements), they were really employees entitled to overtime pay. According to the plaintiffs, site managers are required to watch games and report on breaking news on their assigned teams.

In a recent decision, the federal district court granted conditional certification to the proposed class of all site managers and managing editors. In proposed class actions, conditional certification is often easily granted. The bar to conditional certification is low. That means companies who classify their bloggers as independent contractors can be subjected to the hassle and expense of written discovery, depositions, and litigation — just to determine whether a class can proceed. And that’s before litigation on the merits of a misclassification claim.

Litigation involving alleged independent contractor misclassification can be a long and expensive slog. Depositions, deposition prep, and document discovery involve lots of people’s time and attention, none of whom will be lonely. Everyone at the company who was involved in classification, oversight, and pay decisions may have to play — all of which means The Motels were wrong. So there. Next time write a more upbeat song.

© 2019 Todd Lebowitz, posted on WhoIsMyEmployee.com, Exploring Issues of Independent Contractor Misclassification and Joint Employment. All rights reserved.

For more information on joint employment, gig economy issues, and other labor and employment developments to watch in 2019, join me in Chicago on Mar. 21 for the 2019 BakerHostetler Master Class on Labor Relations and Employment Law: Meeting Today’s Challenges. Advance registration is required. Please email me if you plan to attend, tlebowitz@bakerlaw.com. If you list my name in your RSVP, I will have your registration fee waived.