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If the rule change goes into effect, it could prevent gig workers from qualifying for minimum wage protections, overtime, and other federal employment protections guaranteed to employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act. \u003Ci\u003EThe New Yorker\u003C\/i\u003E \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/magazine\/2020\/10\/26\/trumps-labor-secretary-is-a-wrecking-ball-aimed-at-workers\u0022 style=\u0022color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:12.0pt\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022line-height:107%\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:\u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;,serif\u0022\u003Ehas reported\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:12.0pt\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022line-height:107%\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:\u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;,serif\u0022\u003E that the proposed rule change is part of a \u201cseries of little-noticed rules\u201d the Department has introduced since the Covid-19 pandemic began, designed to \u201cweake[n] the few protections that workers in low-wage industries have.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022twitter-tweet\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022 lang=\u0022en\u0022\u003E\ud83d\udea8DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS\ud83d\udea8\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/LenaSimet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\u0022\u003E@LenaSimet\u003C\/a\u003E and I raise alarm about the Department of Labor\u0027s latest move to gut labor protections for gig workers\u003Cbr\u003E\n\u003Cbr\u003E\nIt\u0027s part of a sweeping pattern of deregulation leaving workers vulnerable to poverty wages and dangerous working conditions \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/t.co\/l3Kcr3UY46\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/t.co\/l3Kcr3UY46\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u2014 Amos Toh (@AmosToh) \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/twitter.com\/AmosToh\/status\/1321426487937937409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\u0022\u003EOctober 28, 2020\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cscript async src=\u0022https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\u0022 charset=\u0022utf-8\u0022\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\n\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom:11px\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:11pt\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022line-height:107%\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:MetaPro-Norm,sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:12.0pt\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022line-height:107%\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:\u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;,serif\u0022\u003EThe proposed rule change comes on the heels of an aggressive push by gig companies to entrench substandard protections for gig workers in California, through a \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2020\/10\/15\/california-proposition-22-threatens-gig-workers-rights\/\u0022 style=\u0022color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:12.0pt\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022line-height:107%\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:\u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;,serif\u0022\u003Eballot initiative known as Proposition 22\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:12.0pt\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022line-height:107%\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:\u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;,serif\u0022\u003E. The ongoing misclassification of gig workers as independent contractors in that state is making it possible for gig companies to use opaque algorithms that \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2020\/10\/15\/grocery-app-workers-rights-are-under-siege\u0022 style=\u0022color:#0563c1; text-decoration:underline\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:12.0pt\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022line-height:107%\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:\u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;,serif\u0022\u003Edrive down workers\u2019 earnings\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:12.0pt\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022line-height:107%\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:\u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;,serif\u0022\u003E below the local minimum wage. Gig companies are also not required to pay for overtime. As a result, gig workers that Human Rights Watch interviewed are working longer hours and taking more gigs to pay rent, buy food and make ends meet. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom:11px\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:11pt\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022line-height:107%\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:MetaPro-Norm,sans-serif\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size:12.0pt\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022line-height:107%\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:\u0026quot;Times New Roman\u0026quot;,serif\u0022\u003EMisclassification strips gig workers of other essential protections, such as workers\u2019 compensation when they get sick or injured on the job, and unemployment insurance. Gig companies also avoid contributions to social security taxes, creating additional strain on the social safety net that supports millions of people that have become unemployed as a result of the pandemic. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom:11px\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAmos Toh is senior researcher, artificial intelligence and human rights, at Human Rights Watch.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp style=\u0022margin-bottom:11px\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ELena Simet is senior researcher and advocate, poverty and inequality, at Human Rights Watch.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n\u003C\/div\u003E\n","settings":null},{"command":"insert","method":"prepend","selector":".js-view-dom-id-blog_live_feed__blog_body_block__376896__en","data":"","settings":null}]