Everyone wants to “be his own boss,” right? That’s the American dream, we’re told. But when a real boss tells a worker she’s not an employee but an independent contractor—it’s simply a way to steal wages and cheat on taxes.
Worker centers in many states are seeking state and national legislation to strike back at such thieving bosses. And some lawmakers, with budgets strapped by the recession, are keen to find ways to haul in tax-shirking employers.
Mislabeled workers “suffer the worst of both worlds” according to the worker-rights advocacy group American Rights at Work. Not only do they lack control over their work, they are denied legal protections due to workers, including unemployment insurance, overtime pay, anti-discrimination laws, minimum wage requirements, and workers’ compensation.
continue reading