More than 64 million Americans freelancers and independent workers are up against: A patchwork of rules and regulations that’s stuck in the past and are crushing their freedom to choose how they make a living.
Enter H.R. 1319 and H.R. 1320 — two bills AFP is backing that would finally drag our labor laws into the 21st century.
For many Americans, independent work gives flexibility, freedom and opportunities than a traditional 9 to 5 simply can’t offer. It makes no sense for the government to make it harder for them to work as they want.
If today, with all the bureaucratic roadblocks, independent contractors are a critical engine for our economy. Imagine what they could do if we just got government out of the way.
Here’s a question that shouldn’t be hard to answer: Are you an employee or an independent contractor?
But thanks to Washington’s bureaucratic maze, some Americans need a small army of lawyers to get the right answer.
We have a tangled, outdated mess of federal regulations, state laws, court decisions, and changing government regulations that shift depending on who’s in power.
This classification matters. If a business misclassifies a contractor, it can face severe penalties, including steep fines, back pay, and even legal action.
When rules are too subjective or too rigid, they can effectively force freelancers to become an employee, even if they don’t want to.
H.R. 1319, the Modern Worker Empowerment Act cuts through the nonsense. It creates a clear and consistent standard for employment. Workers would finally know where they stand without fear that the rules will change overnight.
Want to know something ridiculous? Federal law actually makes it risky — sometimes illegal — for companies to offer health benefits to their independent contractors.
Right now, businesses that would like to offer benefits to independent contractors risk facing significant penalties and burdens. This is a risk that many businesses simply can’t take.
As a result, independent workers are 11% less likely to have the benefits traditional employees receive. Not because they don’t want them, but because Washington is getting in the way.
That’s clearly unfair.
H.R. 1320, the Modern Worker Security Act, would eliminate this double standard and make it easier for companies to offer benefits to independent workers.
Americans and freedom are a perfect match.
We don’t want the government dictating every aspect of our lives. Unelected bureaucrats have no role in deciding how everyday Americans should do their work.
That’s why at Americans for Prosperity, we’ve always supported the right of workers to choose what type of work best suits them, and bills like the Modern Worker Empowerment Act and the Modern Worker Security Act do just that.
If you want to learn more about this issue, click here for a recap of the House Workforce Protection Subcommittee hearing.
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