NJBIA will be testifying at a public hearing on Monday to oppose a proposed rule by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development that would classify more gig workers, including drivers for rideshare and meal-delivery apps and freelance writers, as regular company employees.
The public hearing is scheduled to take place at the New Jersey Division of Taxation in Trenton from 10 a.m. to 12 noon on Monday.
To request the opportunity to speak, or to send written comments, click here.
While the rules purport to provide protections to independent contractors, NJBIA Vice President of Government Affairs Elissa Frank said the proposal instead reduces their freedoms, while greatly increasing labor costs for businesses.
“The main takeaway is that under the proposal it will be extremely difficult to be considered an independent contractor in New Jersey,” Frank said. “And that may be what the Department of Labor’s goal is, in the name of worker protections.
“But we contend that this rule, as currently written, will do much more harm than good. It will undoubtedly reduce autonomy for freelance workers, and it will greatly add to business labor costs. It will also likely add to increased prices in an already unaffordable state and less service for customers, particularly for the many people who use services like Uber, Lyft, Grubhub or DoorDash.”
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