Gig Worker Benefit Option Proposed by Key Senate Republican

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) proposed overhauling employment classification laws to increase health and retirement benefits for gig workers.

The paper released Wednesday would create a federal safe harbor for employers who want to offer independent contractors benefits typically only available to full- and part-time employees, without triggering all the obligations that come with formal employment.

The paper also proposes a single federal test to determine whether a worker qualifies as an employee or contractor under the law, in a bid to standardize a varying set of requirements currently used by courts and regulatory ...