A federal judge granted class-action status on Tuesday to a lawsuit that questions the employment classification of Uber drivers, paving the way for a legal challenge that could strike at the heart of the ride-hailing companys business model. The ruling will allow a jury to decide whether some Uber drivers should be considered employees or 1099 contract workers, named after a tax designation, which does not require the company to pay payroll taxes or apply minimum wage and overtime laws to the drivers.