THE WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BOARD DID NOT MAKE SUFFICIENT FINDINGS UNDER THE “ABC” TEST FOR DETERMINING WHETHER CLAIMANT WAS AN EMPLOYEE OR AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR, MATTER REMITTED (THIRD DEPT). ​

The Third Department, reversing the Workers’ Compensation Board and remitting the matter, determined the Board did not properly apply the so-called “ABC” test to decide whether claimant was an employee or an independent contractor:

… [O]ur review of the Board’s decision reflects that it did not set forth sufficient findings of fact regarding its assessment of whether the three-part ABC test was satisfied in order to determine if claimant himself was an independent contractor. To that end, to establish a person as an independent contractor under the three-part ABC test, it must be demonstrated that “(a) the individual is free from control and direction in performing the job, both under his or her contract and in fact; (b) the service must be performed outside the usual course of business for which the service is performed; and (c) the individual is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession, or business that is similar to the service at issue” (Labor Law § 861-c [1]). * * *

In our view, given the limited findings by the Board, it is unclear whether the Board considered the ABC factors in determining that claimant’s status as an employee was not rebutted. As such, and aware that the role of this Court is not to independently review and weigh the conflicting evidence to determine whether the various factors of the ABC test … — including who directed and controlled the work being performed in installing the trusses — were met, the Board’s decision is not supported by substantial evidence and the matter must be remitted to the Board for proper consideration of whether the ABC test was satisfied in order to rebut the presumption of an employer-employee relationship. Matter of Trickey v Black Riv. Plumbing, Heating & A.C., Inc., 2025 NY Slip Op 05133, Third Dept 9-25-25

Practice Point: Consult this decision for an explanation of the “ABC” test for whether a claimant is an employee or independent contractor.