Gig Economy Companies Brace for Crucial Year as Challenges Mount

The gig economy faces yet another year of upheaval as the Biden administration eyes actions to address worker rights, court battles continue to play out across the country, and more states confront ongoing disputes about drivers’ employment status.

App-based giants, including Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc., and DoorDash Inc., ended 2021 still locked in fierce litigation and lobbying to defend their business models, which rely on independent contractors who don’t receive the same job protections and benefits as employees.

That jockeying will continue this year as their drivers, deemed essential workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, push for more ...