Senate Passes 'Employment Presumption' Misclassification Bill With Stiff Penalties

In a sign that more states are getting serious about misclassification, the Virginia Senate on Monday approved a bill that would stiffen penalties when companies inappropriately consider workers to be independent contractors. Senate Bill 744 is also the latest effort by Virginia's new Democrat-majority legislature to enact a range of progressive and worker-friendly reforms. Employer groups have said they are working to counter the flood of bills. “I've got so many coming at me now I can't keep up with them all,” said Chris Lagow, a lobbyist for the Virginia Chamber of...