House Committee Approves GOP Contractor, Joint Employer Bills

A House panel advanced bills to make it easier for businesses to classify workers as independent contractors, over Democratic objections the changes would weaken protections for workers.

Two of the bills would together narrow the circumstances that can indicate whether a worker is an employee of a company, while the third would codify the Trump administration’s preferred standard for joint employment. The worker classification bills, introduced by Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.), mirror legislation currently pending in the Senate.

The three bills would dramatically broaden the legal shield for businesses seeking to avoid the liabilities of an employer, such as engaging ...