With the groundbreaking enactment of a new law relating to certain transportation network companies, rideshare drivers in Washington State will soon enjoy various benefits typically associated with employee status while retaining the independence and flexibility of their independent contractor status.
On March 31, 2022, Governor Jay Inslee signed into law Engrossed Substitute House Bill (ESHB) 2076, which provides for minimum per-trip payments, paid sick leave, and workers' compensation benefits for rideshare drivers. The law also effectively ensures that these workers will maintain their status as independent contractors and that transportation network companies will be free from the imposition of additional requirements on their businesses by local governments.
ESHB 2076 includes the following provisions:
| Minimum Trip Payments | Beginning December 31, 2022, transportation network companies are required to ensure a driver's total compensation is "not less than" $0.34 per passenger platform minute and $1.17 per passenger platform mile or $3.00 per dispatched trip, whichever is greater. Drivers with rides in cities with populations of more than 600,000, such as Seattle, will earn at least $0.59 per passenger platform minute and $1.38 per passenger platform mile or $5.17 per trip, whichever is greater. |
| Workers' Compensation Coverage | Beginning January 1, 2023, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries will assess premiums for workers' compensation coverage... |
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