Opinion ID: 2604237
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The activities of Bobich or the bookkeeper at Alaskan Real Estate make these individuals employees of Dimond Mini-Storage.

Text: Bobich argues that the partnership independently contracted with Alaskan Real Estate to manage the mini-storage property. Therefore, Bobich and the bookkeeper were employees of Alaskan, not Dimond Mini-Storage. He stresses that the fee for managing the facility was paid to Alaskan Real Estate, not directly to himself, and that he received fees for managing property for clients other than the mini-storage. Twice Bobich challenged the existence of a jury question on this issue, once through a motion for a directed verdict, and once through a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict. Bobich now appeals the denial of both motions. When reviewing a denial of a motion for either a directed verdict or a judgment notwithstanding the verdict, the court must decide whether the evidence, when examined in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, is such that reasonable persons could not differ in their judgment. City of Whittier v. Whittier Fuel & Marine Corp., 577 P.2d 216, 220 (Alaska 1978). Unless reasonable jurors could not differ, we will affirm the jury's verdict. Blackford v. Taggart, 672 P.2d 888, 890 (Alaska 1983). We find that the Stewarts presented sufficient evidence to raise a question on which reasonable jurors could differ, and therefore we affirm the jury's verdict. When determining whether a party is an employee or an independent contractor, the finder of fact may rely on several guidelines, which include: 1) the degree of the alleged employer's right to control the manner in which the work is to be performed; 2) the alleged employee's opportunity for profit or loss depending upon his managerial skill; 3) the alleged employee's investment in equipment or materials required for his task, or his employment of helpers; 4) whether the service rendered requires a special skill; 5) the degree of permanence of the working relationship; 6) whether the service rendered is an integral part of the alleged employer's business. Jeffcoat v. State, Dep't of Labor, 732 P.2d 1073, 1075-76 (Alaska 1987) (quoting Donovan v. DialAmerica Mktg., Inc., 757 F.2d 1376, 1382 (3d Cir.1985), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 919, 106 S.Ct. 246, 88 L.Ed.2d 255 (1985)). Under this standard, a reasonable jury could conclude that Bobich and the bookkeeper were employees of Dimond Mini-Storage, and could reject the argument that Alaskan Real Estate acted in the capacity of an independent contractor. First, a relationship between an employer and an independent contractor is generally a short-term one, but the services of Bobich and the bookkeeper appear to be of a permanent nature. Moreover, Bobich received a flat management fee for his services, regardless of whether Dimond Mini-Storage turned a profit. Finally, both overall management activities and clerical tasks such as bookkeeping are integral parts of a business. Managers and bookkeepers are essential to a business's operations in a way that a contractor hired to repaint the office walls is not. Therefore, we conclude that the special verdict was not in error. [5]