Posts tagged worker classification
Special Feature: How Public Employee Unions Built California’s Most Powerful Political Machine
July 13, 2026 // In California, public employee unions are often among the most influential organizations helping determine who becomes governor, mayor, county supervisor or school board trustee. They endorse candidates. They contribute millions of dollars to campaigns and independent expenditures. They provide campaign volunteers, voter outreach, mail programs, and political infrastructure that many candidates could not easily replace. By the time contract negotiations begin, the relationship between labor and management has often existed for months or years. That does not mean elected officials simply surrender to union demands. Many negotiate in good faith and work hard to protect taxpayers while fairly compensating public employees. But in government, the officials responsible for approving compensation packages are frequently supported by the same organizations representing the employees who will benefit from those agreements.
Op-ed: It’s Time to Unwind Biden’s Chaos for Freelancers, Small Business
April 29, 2026 // Preserving flexible work is extremely important to women, who make up about half of the nation’s freelance workforce. Nine out of 10 women who left traditional jobs to freelance did so for flexibility. As caregivers, independent contracting allows moms to raise children or care for aging parents. Sara B. stated in her supportive comment for the proposed rule, “I value my flexibility and independence with Instacart because I'm a mom who can only work sometimes because I don't have many people to help me watch my child so I can work. Being able to work whenever I want helps me so much.” For seasoned workers transitioning into retirement and older Americans supplementing Social Security benefits, flexible work keeps them engaged.
Commentary: The Labor Department Just Freed Contractors—Again. Congress Still Needs To Act.
April 6, 2026 // Fortunately, at the state level, more durable change is happening. Rather than trying to reclassify workers as employees, numerous states have begun experimenting with what's known as a portable benefits model. Under this framework, independent contractors in the gig economy are given access to SEP IRA–style accounts in which both they and gig companies can contribute. The funds from these accounts follow the contractors from job to job, rather than being tied to a single company, and they can be used for benefits like health insurance, retirement funds, or paid time off.
21st Century Worker Act Aims to End Worker Classification Confusion
March 6, 2026 // Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the 21st Century Worker Act, a much needed practical step to clear up persistent confusion surrounding worker classification under federal law. The bill would replace the current patchwork of conflicting standards under the Fair Labor Standards Act, National Labor Relations Act, and Internal Revenue Code with a single, clear bright line test for determining independent contractor status across federal labor and tax statutes. It also directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess the impact of these new standards and allows workers and businesses freedom to mutually elect worker status in cases where conventional classifications do not apply clearly.
Opinion: A win for 11.9 million workers
March 1, 2026 // Advocates for classifying more self-employed workers as employees are generally speaking on behalf of people who don’t want their help. Of the estimated 11.9 million Americans for whom independent contract work is their sole or main job, 80 percent prefer it to traditional employment, according to a 2023 survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Ocean County Leaders Raise Concerns over NJDOL’s Proposed Gig Worker Rule
November 25, 2025 // “The State’s one-size-fits-all rule may hurt the very people it claims to protect; the independent workers, small businesses, and local economies that depend on flexibility and Ocean County’s local contractors, tradespeople, and entrepreneurs that rely on flexible work arrangements,” Ocean County Commissioner Jennifier Bacchione said on Monday. “The State should not be penalizing them for working independently.”
Freelance Busting: ‘Jeopardize Public Safety’
September 15, 2025 // More than 885,000 drivers in New Jersey called AAA in 2024 to request emergency roadside assistance. That’s according to the public comment that AAA filed opposing the Department of Labor & Workforce Development’s proposed independent-contractor rule. This comment states that the proposed rule “threatens the viability of AAA’s business model in New Jersey, which will jeopardize public safety on New Jersey roadways.”
Chair Cassidy, Scott, Paul Release Legislative Package Empowering Independent Workers to Access Portable Benefits
July 7, 2025 // “We applaud Sen. Cassidy for striving to ensure independent contractors can be protected and receive benefits similar to employees without jeopardizing their entrepreneurship or independence. The Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers Act supports independent contractors and freelancers by allowing businesses to provide benefits without redefining worker status. In today’s evolving economy, flexible work shouldn’t come at the cost of healthcare or retirement security. This legislation helps ensure that all American workers – regardless of classification – can have access to benefits like health care and retirement plans,” said F. Vincent Vernuccio, J.D., President, Institute for the American Worker.
Op-ed: America must lead on the gig economy — or others will set the rules
June 10, 2025 // Look at California’s catastrophic Assembly Bill 5, which tried to reclassify most independent contractors as employees. Instead of improving livelihoods, it triggered chaos. Freelancers across media, transportation, tech, and the arts lost contracts overnight. Self-employment rates cratered. Only after a voter revolt and economic fallout did lawmakers scramble to undo the damage, carving out one exemption after another — a slow-motion admission that they had gone too far. Now, the ILO wants to make AB 5 the global gold standard for the gig economy.
Commentary: Cutting red tape for 64 million American workers
June 1, 2025 // Americans and freedom are a perfect match. We don’t want the government dictating every aspect of our lives. Unelected bureaucrats have no role in deciding how everyday Americans should do their work. That’s why at Americans for Prosperity, we’ve always supported the right of workers to choose what type of work best suits them, and bills like the Modern Worker Empowerment Act and the Modern Worker Security Act do just that.