From Quartz, Alan Hyde discusses the recent decision in California that said that an Uber driver was an employee. He reviews many of the issues involved in the on-demand economy and suggests that creating a “dependent contractor” type of worker may alleviate some of the problems. He writes:
“The labor laws of Canada, Sweden and some other countries recognize a category called “dependent contractors.” Such workers are self-employed for some purposes, say tax administration. But if their livelihood depends on the richer entity that hires them, then that entity is bound by labor laws when it administers tips, or compensation.
Creation of such a category by US state legislators, or by some future Congress capable of legislation, would be highly desirable. It has been reported that tech companies are enthusiastic about the idea of creating such a category, though there is much hard work ahead in working out the details.
It would recognize that Americans are committed both to the creation of new ways of working and, at the same time, to the proposition that the powerful must not be permitted to exploit people whose services are integral to their businesses….”
Read the full story at The US needs to follow Europe’s lead and create a “grey area” class of workers
