AFP: Administration Right to Protect Worker Flexibility

Sep 22, 2020 by AFP

Arlington, Va. – Americans for Prosperity (AFP) applauded the Department of Labor for proposing a rule intended to protect individuals’ ability to pursue work as independent contractors. Independent contracting allows for flexible work arrangements that empower individuals to pursue meaningful work in a way that fits their lifestyle, create new entrepreneurial opportunities, and improve their lives. As the country struggles to recover from COVID-19 and millions of workers are trying to get back on their feet in a workforce experiencing unprecedented disruption, reforms that expand the way Americans can work and contribute will help our economy not just recover, but recover stronger.

Americans for Prosperity Tim Phillips issued the following statement:

“Removing barriers and expanding flexibility for workers is exactly what policymakers should be focused on. Independent contracting provides an alternative that empowers people, from all walks of life, to be entrepreneurial and chart a course to success that works best for them. Despite the fact that the vast majority of independent contractors enjoy this arrangement, efforts at both the state and federal level threaten to undermine this entrepreneurialism by imposing restrictions that would severely limit individuals’ ability to work as independent contractors. This is bad for workers, bad for the economy, and is downright unfair. At a time when millions have become recently unemployed or are struggling to adjust to a new kind of workforce, policymakers should prioritize the kinds of reforms that clear the way for people to get back to work and get the economy moving again.”

AFP’s Road to Recovery:

In May, AFP released “Recover Stronger: A Starting Point to Build An Economy that Works for All,” a set of principles and recommendations that offer lawmakers a starting point to build a stronger economy as the country recovers from COVID-19.

Instead of doubling down on policies of the past such as massive government spending that has consistently failed to spur real recoveries, AFP urged policymakers to consider a better way: create an economic environment that fosters innovation and empowers everyone – workers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders from all walks of life – to create products and services that improve their lives and the lives of others. AFP identified removing unnecessary barriers to work and allowing for greater workforce flexibility as a key element of helping our economy recover stronger.

Americans for Prosperity senior policy analyst Austen Bannan recently wrote an op-ed in the Washington Examiner about independent contracting and the need to protect independent opportunity for everyone in America.