Independent Newspaper Carrier Job Description

The ABC Test and the Compensation Law for Newspapers

If the newspaper carrier is found to be an employee, the employer must pay the cost of unemployment benefits even if it doesn't pay unemployment taxes. The ABC test is used by the DOL to determine if the employer-employee relationship is covered by the compensation law. Under the state law, newspaper carriers under the age of 18 are not covered.

If the adult carriers meet the other standard criteria, the DOL will find them to be eligible for unemployment benefits. The Labor Department has found that adult newspaper carriers do not meet all of the test requirements, as they are not free from control of the newspaper and are not engaged in an independently established trade. They would have to deliver newspapers for more than one publisher.

The Impact of the New Fair Labor Standards Act on Newspaper Industry

The carriers who agreed to the settlement will receive payments of an average of $518.77. GateHouse does not have to change its policies or procedures. Newspaper publishers pushed for an amendment to delay the application of the new law.

There is still concern about the impact of the new law on the newspaper industry. Different federal agencies have different standards for determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor, which is different from the standards the states have. The Internal Revenue Service uses criteria such as where work is performed, to whom and how the worker is paid, to determine if an employer is responsible for a worker's federal employment taxes.

The First Newspaper Carriers

Newspaper carriers who deliver by bicycle are still a thing, but many of them are adults with vehicles, and so are often second jobs. The number on a newspaper carrier's paycheck is dependent on their route's length and location. The carriers for The Alpena News travel anywhere from 15 to 150 miles per day to deliver 150 newspapers.

The Journal Times in Wisconsin says that most carriers have routes within a few miles of their home. Most routes take 90 minutes to complete. It was the first chapter in the careers of many self-made business people, including Walt Disney, Warren Buffet, and Kathy Ireland, if newspaper delivery is a crash course in business.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, actor Tom Cruise, and director David Lynch are just a few of the celebrities who have tried their hand at newspaper throwing. If a newspaper publishes seven days a week, carriers are expected to deliver it seven days a week. If they can find a reliable pinch hitter, carriers who need to take a break from their route may do so.