Plaintiffs, a putative class of tennis umpires who worked at the U.S. Open, appeal from the District Court's September 15, 2014 entry of summary judgment in favor of defendant on plaintiffs' claims for unpaid overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq. ("FLSA"), and the New York Labor Law ("NYLL"). We assume the parties' familiarity with the underlying facts, the procedural history of the case, and the issues on appeal.
We review a grant of summary judgment de novo, viewing the facts "in the light most favorable to the non-moving party and draw[ing] all reasonable inferences in that party's favor." Cox v. Warwick Valley Cent. Sch. Dist., 654 F.3d 267, 271 (2d Cir. 2011). Summary judgment is appropriate where "there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). In determining whether individuals are "employees" or independent contractors for purposes of the FLSA, we consider the "economic reality test," which weighs:
Brock v. Superior Care, Inc., 840 F.2d 1054, 1058-59 (2d Cir. 1988). "No one of these factors is dispositive; rather, the test is based on a totality of the circumstances." Id. at 1059.
Upon review of the record and the relevant law, we conclude that the District Court correctly determined that plaintiffs were independent contractors, not employees, for purposes of the FLSA and the NYLL, substantially for the reasons stated in its thorough and well-reasoned September 11, 2014 opinion. Plaintiffs are highly skilled workers who exercise a high degree of independent initiative and control in officiating tennis matches. Although tennis umpires are an integral part of the U.S. Open and they invest little in the event, plaintiffs are free to decide independently each year whether to apply to officiate at the U.S. Open, which lasts for only a few weeks each year, and for how many days they wish to officiate. Plaintiffs also remain free to serve as umpires for other tennis associations and to maintain other non-umpiring jobs throughout the year, as many of them, in fact, do.
Moreover, under the NYLL factors, plaintiffs worked at their own convenience, were free to engage in other employment, did not receive fringe benefits, and were not on defendant's payroll. Plaintiffs also generally claimed independent contractor status on their income tax returns. See Bynog, 1 N.Y.3d at 199 & n.3 (considering tax status as relevant factor in employment relationship analysis).
Accordingly, in view of the totality of the circumstances, the District Court did not err in determining that plaintiffs were independent contractors, not employees, for purposes of the FLSA and the NYLL.
We have considered all of the arguments raised by plaintiffs on appeal and find them to be without merit. For the reasons stated above, we