Worker Freedom

There are state and federal efforts to reclassify independent contractors as employees, and they will kill opportunities for millions of American workers. When California imposed significant restrictions on who could be independent contractors, with a law known as AB5, it forced many of the state’s two million freelancers to make an all-or-nothing choice: become an employee or not to work at all. Workers reported losing clients, contracts, income, and jobs because many businesses couldn’t afford to offer all independent contractors formal employment opportunities. California is not alone. Several other states are considering similar restrictions, and the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation (the Protecting the Right to Organize or PRO Act) that would impose AB5-style restrictions on the entire country. In addition, the Department of Labor will impose new restrictions on independent contracting that will lead to similar lost opportunities for flexible work.

The workplace and workforce are changing rapidly, as workers demand more flexibility and freedom. More and more Americans now work as freelancers, independent contractors, and gig workers, rather than solely as employees of one company or organization. These arrangements allow workers to have greater control of their schedules and work. They get to decide when, with whom, and how much they work. Many women—especially moms—benefit from the flexibility of contract work. Reclassifying independent contractors as employees is the wrong direction for workers. It’s time to fight for worker flexibility and freedom.