The Supreme Court of California on Nov. 28 denied the final appeal of FedEx Corp.'s domestic ground unit, which tried to overturn a lower court's ruling that FedEx drivers are employees and not independent contractors.

The Appeals Court ruled, “FedEx's control over every exquisite detail of the drivers' performance, including the color of their socks and the style of their hair, supports the trial court's conclusion that the drivers are employees.”

Last month, a federal judge approved class-action status for a lawsuit filed on behalf of about 14,000 FedEx Ground delivery drivers. The action involves 56 lawsuits brought by drivers in 36 states.

In August the California Court of Appeals also denied the appeal in the landmark case Estrada vs. Roadway Package System. FedEx owns RPS. In that case the court determined that the FedEx Ground drivers were entitled to reimbursement for approximately $6 million in additional expenses, bringing the total damages to about $11 million for 200 drivers.