Gig workers “protect” themselves by legislation,
get fired in droves. Vox Media is laying off hundreds of freelance writers and editors due to a new California law that was sold as a way to protect the state's contingent workforce. That law, AB5, was adopted in September. To comply, New York-based Vox Media would have had to reclassify many of the freelancers it uses for sports platform SB Nation as full-time staff.
Instead, the company decided to cancel the contracts of some 200 or so freelancers....
Vox Media's flagship publication, Vox, previously called the California legislation "a victory for workers everywhere."
I think you referenced California AB5 indirectly a few posts back - the one about military terminology. It's definitely one of those- or maybe all of those wrapped into one. It's probably going to give me a ton of headaches as an independent contractor. I'll likely have to incorporate and take on a bunch more paperwork I didn't want to do, if they don't repeal it soon.
ReplyDeleteFreelancers are free from the corporate dog obedience hierarchy. That is recognized even by the IRS, that they are business owners. They just own the business called their social security number, ONE employee, themselves and their personal accounts.
ReplyDeleteObviously the freelancers do not have any pull amongst legislators and big corporate donors. They are very decidedly an independent bunch and their political gamut runs across the spectrum. They, are in other words, loose sheep.
On the plus side, they'll have more time to pursue their dreams.
ReplyDeleteBuilding Utopia one unintended consequence at a time.
ReplyDeleteIf only someone could have predicted this.
ReplyDelete