Bills endorsed by gig-economy giants and designed to expand benefits access for drivers are gaining traction in statehouses, as proponents say they promote flexibility and critics deride them as eroding labor protections.
Lawmakers from Florida to Wyoming are considering the bills, which let businesses put money into contracted workers’ portable benefits accounts. The measures, which mirror recent laws in Alabama, Tennessee, and Utah, would ensure those contributions can’t be used as a reason to classify workers as employees.
The policy’s spread—including federal versions pending in Congress—is the latest maneuver in a policy battle over worker classifications, particularly for Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc., and DoorDash Inc. drivers. DoorDash boosted the idea with pilot programs in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Georgia in 2024 and 2025, contributing to accounts of drivers who opted to participate.
They and other app-based companies classify drivers as independent contractors, excluding them from protections such as minimum wage and union rights as well as employment benefits including health insurance and retirement plans. The issue also affects millions of jobs including nursing, truck driving, construction, freelance writing, and last-mile delivery for companies such as Amazon.com Inc.
Although state and federal laws vary in their worker classification approaches, companies that offer benefits tend to undermine their argument for contractor status.
“Providing...
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