Covid-19 and the economic downturn have forced many gig workers to take on risky, difficult work, and has forced many others out of work altogether. But the crisis also has positioned gig workers—those currently working and those who are not—to win greater employment protections and benefits in the future.
Fights over gig workers’ classification have been under way for as long as there has been a gig economy. The debate impacts a host of issues such as wages and benefits, liability for injuries caused by gig workers, and protections from discrimination.
The Covid-19 pandemic paused the immediate legislative fight at the state level over worker classification. But the debate will likely intensify once state legislatures turn back to this issue, and they will be operating against a new backdrop of federal, local, judicial, and business actions taken during the crisis.
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