Portable Benefits for Gig Workers Starting to Gain Traction

The idea of portable benefit systems for gig-economy workers seems to be gaining momentum, with legislation to create such a system being introduced in Washington state this session and a measure to encourage portable benefits expected to soon be proposed in Congress. The proposals are intended to provide greater protection for workers such as drivers for ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft. Because they’re often classified as independent contractors rather than employees, they generally aren’t covered by workers’ compensation insurance and don’t receive benefits such ...