If Gig Workers Are Truly Independent Contractors, Treat Them That Way
California's Proposition 22 classified gig workers as independent contractors. But they often don't know the details of a job or how much they'll be paid.
David Pickerell is the founder and CEO of Para.
The California Supreme Court recently agreed to hear a challenge from labor unions to Proposition 22, which classified gig workers as independent contractors rather than as employees. Many gig workers want to be independent contractors, but Prop 22 doesn’t honor the spirit of what this means.
I run a company that works frequently with gig workers, specifically food-delivery and ride-share drivers. Many of them prefer the flexibility of being independent contractors, but they’re concerned about the lack of guardrails for the tech platforms that contract their services. If gig workers are considered independent contractors, they should have the same rights as other independent contractors, including knowing all of the details of the work, knowing what they will be paid before they accept a job and having the freedom to use the tools they want to run their business.
