In recent years, there has been a combination of harmful legislation and regulatory action threatening entrepreneurship and independent work in America. At this time of economic uncertainty and high inflation, workers need every tool at their disposal to support themselves and their families. Instead of making it easier to earn a living, start a business, or get extra cash through a side hustle, some existing laws and proposed rules are making it harder by taking away these options. Below are real stories of independent workers and freelancers who stand to lose- or have already lost- the opportunity to work for themselves because of misguided labor policies.
Bill McNeely, Ride Share Driver, Arizona
“It was a long road, with ups and downs, but I would not be here without the gig economy.” Having a job gave Bill structure, a sense of purpose, a pathway to independence, and hope.
Jackie Webster, Ghostwriter, New Jersey
Jackie has helped a wide range of people tell their stories, including CEOs, scientists, financial planners, governors, bourbon makers, lawyers, policy experts, academics, software engineers, members of the House and Senate, radio hosts, talking heads, and more. Her writing can be spotted in 74 national and state news outlets (though you’d never know it).
Cully Frisard, Trucking Company, Louisiana
“I was brought up in this business from a very young age,” says Cully Frisard, the owner of Frisard’s Transportation, a family-run trucking company in Louisiana. For years, he watched his father build the business from the ground up, and earned his own place in the driver’s seat of the company.
Kaleigh Cunningham, Photographer, Montana
Kaleigh started Adventure Forever Photography because it’s a piece of her own American Dream. “When I’m out doing a photoshoot, or sitting at my desk editing, I’m happy the entire time. There’s no part of me that wishes I was doing something else,” she says.
Shelby Kimpel, Digital Media Freelancer, Texas
Shelby sets her own schedule, dictating when and where she is available, and sets her own pay rate independent of where she lives—ensuring that she is compensated for her full value. And most importantly, she hasn’t had to sacrifice the life of service that is most important to her.
Tim Hartman, Storyteller, Pennsylvania
“My dad always worked for himself, so I never had a picture of anything but self-employment. When I started to try to build a career as an actor, a storyteller, a cartoonist – I couldn’t imagine anything but being a self-employed worker,” Tim says. “I didn’t want to work for a company. I wanted to have my own voice, and I didn’t want to be controlled.”
Bobby Rodriguez, Advertising and Consulting, Texas
Bobby runs his own advertising and consulting company called SR3 Creative in Texas. He has worked with nonprofits, corporations, and about 80 political races at all levels—from city council and school board and mayoral races, to state legislature and national congressional races.
Leah Salyards, Freelance Writer, Pennsylvania
“When I was a W-2 employee, I was not able to rightly order my life,” she explains. “My entire life revolved around an external schedule. I couldn’t pick my priorities.” Flexibility and control became more important than ever to Leah as she grew her career—and her family.
Emily, Independent Contractor, Louisiana
Staying flexible in her schedule is Emily’s number one priority. “I have four children and I need more time in the day for them,” she says. “I have to be able to control when and where I work.”
Whitney Munro, Consulting, Texas
When Whitney Munro made the decision to start her own consulting firm, she had flexibility in mind. “I’ve worked in positions where I didn’t have good balance in my life because of the demands of the role. The goal was to prioritize that work-life balance for my team while also prioritizing flexibility for our clients,” Whitney says.
Lila Stromer, Freelance Copyeditor, New York
Lila Stromer is a 63-year-old copyeditor who has owned her own freelance business for the past 11 years. When her W2 job as the managing editor of an academic journal ended, she only wanted another “good” W2 job. But after freelancing for six months and finding no one wanted to hire an older woman, she realized she loved freelancing.
Alvalyn Lundgren, Freelance Designer
As a solo business owner, Alvalyn is not dependent on any one client for revenue and enjoys working on a variety of clients and projects. Because she established her own pricing structure and business policies, she can be selective about who she works with, and is not relegated to working for minimum wage, by the hour, or for the staff designer rates that are common in the design fields.
Shane Johnson, Freelance Illustrator, Washington
For the past twenty years Shane Johnson has worked as a freelance commercial illustrator. For Shane, his career is not a gig, or a side hustle to be dictated by a bureaucracy, but a successful business that has supported himself and his family for years.
Michelle Fair, Freelance Writer, New Mexico
Michelle left an unfulfilling full-time job and decided to pursue her dreams of writing as a viable, profitable business. Because Michelle is a successful freelancer, she and her husband were able to uproot to a new state and purchase a home without having to worry about finding a new job.
Sarah Sharkey, Freelance Writer, Florida
Transitioning from freelance writer into the role of a small business owner has transformed Sarah Sharkey's life for the better. She loves the freedom to set her own hours and rates. If she doesn’t enjoy working with a particular client, she can find another that values her skills.
Lisa Terry, Freelance Writer, California
Lisa Terry is a California-based independent contractor writing content for technology companies and business-to-business media. Thirty years ago, Lisa turned to freelancing to accommodate the demands of motherhood, increase her wages beyond what she could make in staff positions, and gain greater control over her hours and projects.
Marisa Palmieri Shugrue, Freelance Writer and Editor (Ohio)
Marisa Palmieri Shugrue is a Cleveland-based freelance writer and editor, and also wife to an Ohio Army National Guardsman. She chose to become an independent contractor in 2018 for the flexibility and freedom to be available when her daughters got home from school and because her family needs and household responsibilities change greatly when her husband is deployed.
Shelby Givan, Teacher and Mother
Shelby Givan is a dedicated teacher and mother who was determined to make time in her life for both profession and parenthood. But after AB5 passed, Shelby’s family was faced with several decisions, including her potentially having to return to full-time work and leave her son in someone else’s care. Read more.
Valerie Fausone, Animal Welfare Specialist
Valerie is an animal welfare specialist, who consults with animal shelters, helping them implement no-kill policies and connecting them directly with members of their communities to increase live releases. After the passage of AB5, Valerie was notified by the shelters that they were no longer able to pay her or utilize her services as a contractor. Read more.
Lilly Walters, Face Painting Artist
Lilly Walters owned a thriving face-painting business in California--so thriving, in fact, that she often subcontracted with other artists to meet the demand of her clients. But after the passage of AB5, Lilly went from routinely entertaining at corporate family events where she would subcontract with six other artists—to struggling to book jobs. Read more.
Brian Butler, Owner of Big Bear Cabin Check
Brian Butler and his wife established Big Bear Cabin Check, a service that provided property checks and maintenance for rental properties. As the demand for their services grew, they began hiring independent contractors to help maintain the properties. After AB5 passed, they were told that they had to hire their contractors as full-time employees, which they couldn't do. Read more.
Liam Murphy, Freelance Architectural Designer
Freelancing as an architectural designer gave Liam the flexibility to prepare for his licensing exams, earn money, and manage a family design project- and was beneficial for his employer to have an experienced, trusted contractor without the training investment and overhead costs. Unfortunately, Liam’s contract was placed on indefinite hiatus because of AB5. Read more.
Margarita Reyes, Actor and Film Producer
Margarita, along with hundreds of other actors and producers, works as an independent contractor for indie filmmakers. Freelancing afforded Margarita an income and the flexibility to pursue her passion on her own terms. But the indie film industry has been decimated by AB5 and Margartia hasn't signed a contract since the law was passed. Read more.
Monica Fontes, Over-the-phone Interpreter
Monica Fontes is an over-the-phone interpreter AND a cancer survivor. Her contract role gave her the flexibility to take breaks as needed to manage the pain accompanied with chemotherapy. But when AB5 passed, she lost the one thing that kept her mind off the pain and the unknowns of cancer. Read more.
Cecily Whiteside, Writing and Marketing Expert
Cecily Whiteside was making plans to expand her successful writing business, until AB5 prevented her from hiring independent contractors to assist with writing and editing. The bill’s vague wording has also cast doubt in the mind of her clients based outside of California; some chose not to renew their contracts. Read more.
Laurie Blunk, Nurse Educator
Independent contracting was the perfect fit for Laurie―it allowed her to pursue her passion as a nurse educator while also living with a hereditary disorder that made it physically difficult for her to work full time. But AB5 took away Laurie’s ability to contract, and with it, her ability to earn a living while managing her health. Read more.
Aimee Benavides, Freelance Translator
As a freelance translator, Aimee is able to work when she sees fit while caring for her two children. She works hard and balances it all because it benefits her family, offering flexibility that full-time employment would not give her. AB5 has threatened that flexibility and her livelihood. Read more.
Nikole Wilson-Ripsom, Special Needs Parent and Freelancer
Nikole is the parent of a special needs child. Freelancing gave her the flexibility to be present for the more than 20 hours per week of behavioral and occupational therapy that her son requires and pay for his nutritional supplements. AB5 eliminated her ability to serve as an independent contractor and forced her to make tough decisions about her son's treatment. Read more.
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Special thanks to the California Policy Center for helping to locate many of the freelancers and independent contractors on this page.
You can visit their website here: https://californiapolicycenter.org/