Reporter Was Employee

The Third Department determined claimant, a reporter who worked for a company which produces news reports and shows for television (Everest), was an employee entitled to unemployment insurance benefits:

The record establishes that claimant routinely worked Tuesday through Thursday each week. On these days, Everest would inform claimant in the morning of what her reporting assignment was for that day and whether any story idea she suggested had been approved by Everest. If she refused to perform any of the approved story ideas, she would not work or be paid on that day. Claimant was then required to submit her finished report by a specific time … . Everest provided claimant with support staff to assist in her work, including a videographer, and provided her with camera equipment, access to its electronic news database and graphics and background videos, and a computer for editing purposes … . Everett also reviewed and edited claimant’s work product and could direct her to make revisions or to add graphics to her video reports … . Claimant was also free to use her own video camera operator, but Everest reimbursed claimant for that cost … and retained ownership of claimant’s stories and reports. Although there was also evidence in the record that could have supported a contrary conclusion, the foregoing amply furnished indicia of control over claimant’s activities sufficient to support the Board’s conclusion of an employer-employee relationship… . Matter of Redwoodturral (Everest Prod. Corp.–Commissioner of Labor, 2015 NY Slip Op 08482, 3rd Dept 11-19-15