Maybe we should leave out musicians. And journalists. Okay, take out cartoonists too. The growing list of exemptions to California’s recently-passed Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) shows how legislation meant to protect and help workers is actually crippling their ability to earn a living. The unworkability of such regulation has been laid bare. The law should be completely repealed, and all efforts made to stop action being taken in states considering similar bills, like New York and Illinois.
AB5 was originally meant to target drivers for ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, which it did, but it has ended up affecting many more people. The legislation, which went into effect on January 1, 2020, requires that companies who hire independent contractors (i.e. a person performing work as a non-employee) reclassify them as employees. The idea is to provide these workers with the same benefits and protections a salaried worker might receive, such as health insurance.
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