Gig economy: California bill granting employee status passes assembly
Uber and Lyft drivers, considered contract workers, could be entitled to protections and benefits if the bill is signed
The state assembly in California passed legislation on Wednesday that would require employers to recognize hundreds of thousands of gig workers as employees and could have far-reaching implications for contractors across the US.
In a win for labor advocates, Bill 5 passed 53-11 in the assembly and will now move to the Senate. If signed by the governor, the legislation would put into action a decision made by the California state supreme court in May 2018 known as Dynamex, which uses a three-part test to determine if contractors qualify as employees entitled to protections and benefits.