As a cable-television installer in Massachusetts, Fritz Elienberg drove a van and wore a shirt emblazoned with "Comcast." He installed equipment from Comcast Corp., and customers paid the cable provider for his work.

Mr. Elienberg wasn't a Comcast employee, but a so-called independent contractor working for a separate company. This month, Mr. Elienberg sued both companies, for allegedly depriving him and other contractors of overtime pay and benefits by not considering them employees.

The case highlights a perennial issue for employers that is gaining new prominence during the recession.
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