By Payroll and Entitlements Editorial Staff
The employer, a residential pet care service, appealed the decision of the Commission that found its pet caretakers were employees and not independent contractors. The court, however, found that the employer did not meet its burden of proof. Several employee-employer factors contributed to the decision, including the amount of control the employer had over the sitters, the fact that the work the sitters were doing was integral to the success of the business, and the employer’s right to discharge the sitters at any time without penalty (417 Pet Sitting, LLC v. DES, Mo. Ct. of App., Western District. No. WD83833, 10/27/2020).