In re Luff
Opinion of the Court
—Appeal from a decision of the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board, filed June 28, 1991, which assessed Gary Luff for unemployment insurance contributions.
Society International (hereinafter the company), which is owned by Gary Luff, sells cookware, silverware, china and crystal to customers in their homes. At issue in this case is whether the salespeople the company hires to sell its products are employees of the company. The Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board ruled that the company exercised sufficient direction and control over the activities of its salespeople to establish an employer-employee relationship. This appeal followed.
We affirm. In doing so we initially note that the question of whether an employment relationship exists is one of fact and depends on whether there is evidence of either control over the results achieved or over the means used to achieve those results (see, Matter of Rivera [State Line Delivery Serv.—Roberts], 69 NY2d 679, cert denied 481 US 1049). Here, testimony as well as documentary evidence presented at the hearings revealed the following facts. Salespeople were interviewed by the company and completed what were essentially job applications. Upon being hired they signed an agreement which stated that they could sell the company’s products "according
Based upon our review of the record, we find substantial evidence to support the Board’s conclusion that the salespeople were employees of the company (see, Matter of Cohen [Blinder, Robinson & Co.—Roberts], 112 AD2d 687, affd 67 NY2d 683; Matter of Rawdin [College Town Sportswear— Ross], 58 AD2d 714). Any conflicts in the testimony merely presented questions of credibility for the Board to resolve (see, Matter of Padilla [Sephardic Home for the Aged—Roberts], 113 AD2d 997).
Weiss, P. J., Yesawich Jr., Levine, Mercure and Mahoney, JJ., concur. Ordered that the decision is affirmed, without costs.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.