'Portable Benefits Plans' Suggested for Gig Workers
Gigs aren't just for musicians these days. The U.S. economy is moving toward "pop-up" businesses, which staff employees for the particular moment in time.
December 22, 2015 at 08:48 AM
1 minute read
Gigs aren't just for musicians these days. According to Maria Danaher of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, the U.S. economy is moving toward “pop-up” businesses, which staff employees for the particular moment in time. And though this can be convenient when it comes to the bottom line, it can pose tricky questions with employee classification, overtime and independent contractor status.
“With increasing numbers of on-demand businesses … workers get to choose when and where to work,” says Danaher. “But these service providers generally have no benefits or legal protections. That could change.” She draws on a white paper authored by former U.S. Department of Labor attorney Seth Harris and economist Alan Krueger, which outlines a proposal for modernizing labor laws.
The paper suggests a “portable benefits system” allowing workers to pay into a universal fund, on a per gig basis, rather than pay into any one employer's benefits plan. It also suggests allowing them to organize to collectively influence compensation, notes Danaher. “While the 'gig worker' classification has yet to become a mainstream concept, there clearly is movement in that direction,” she says.
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllEmployers Race to File NLRB Petitions to Gain Upper Hand in Union Organizing
5 minute readTractor Supply Co.'s Stock Takes Hit After Activists Bash Its Embrace of DEI
6 minute readCorporate Boards May Be Underestimating the Talent Challenges Ahead
Trending Stories
Who Got The Work
Christopher J. DeGroff, Andrew L. Scroggins and Samantha L. Brooks from Seyfarth Shaw have stepped in to represent AG Equipment Company in a pending lawsuit over alleged employment discrimination under the ADA. The case was filed Aug. 30 in Oklahoma Northern District Court by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of five former employees who contend that they were wrongfully terminated after seeking accommodations from the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill, is 4:24-cv-00403, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. AG Equipment Company.
Who Got The Work
Samantha J. Hughes of Dykema Gossett has entered an appearance for Home Depot in a pending slip-and-fall personal injury lawsuit. The suit was filed Aug. 30 in California Central District Court by Countrywide Trial Lawyers on behalf of Ernestina Rolon. The case, assigned to U.S Magistrate Judge Karen L. Stevenson, is 2:24-cv-07451, Ernestina Rolon v. The Home Depot, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
R. Evan Jarrold and Latiqua M. Liles of Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete have entered appearances for Walmart in a pending lawsuit for alleged breaches of the Family and Medical Leave Act. The complaint was filed Aug. 30 in Missouri Eastern District Court by Roberts, Wooten & Zimmer on behalf of a former Walmart employee who contends that he was wrongfully terminated for taking medical leave after contracting COVID-19. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp, is 4:24-cv-01196, Weber v. Walmart, Inc.
Who Got The Work
Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough partner Molly Jean Given has entered an appearance for CooperCompanies, a medical device maker comprised of CooperVision and CooperSurgical, in a pending product liability lawsuit. The case, filed Aug. 27 in California Northern District Court by Girard Sharp and Sauder Schelkopf LLC, is part of a wave of cases brought on behalf of plaintiffs whose embryos failed to develop during in-vitro fertilization due to alleged contamination of the defendant's embryo culture media lots. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigar, is 4:24-cv-06047, I.I. et al v. CooperSurgical, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Jacob Oslick of Seyfarth Shaw has entered an appearance for Prudential Insurance Co. of America in a pending ERISA lawsuit. The complaint, which pertains to short- and long-term disability benefits, was filed Aug. 29 in Pennsylvania Eastern District Court by the Cornerstone Law Firm on behalf of Catherine Alunni. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge John M. Gallagher, is 5:24-cv-04547, Alunni v. The Prudential Insurance Company Of America.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250