N.C.: Carriers are Independent Contractors

By: Mark Fitzgerald In a victory for newspaper publishers, both houses of North Carolina's Legislature have passed unanimously legislation that establishes the legal presumption that newspaper carriers are independent contractors for the purpose of workers compensation.

The notion that carriers are not newspaper employees, but independent contractors who are ineligible for a number of benefits, including workers comp and unemployment insurance, is fundamental to the industry's circulation business model.

While carriers are presumed to be independent contractors, the new law would allow carriers to challenge the presumption in court, says Teri Saylor, executive director of the North Carolina Press Association (NCPA).