LYFT Inc (NASDAQ:LYFT) And Uber Technologies Inc (NYSE:UBER) will likely be the biggest beneficiaries of a recently proposed labor rule that will treat various workers as contractors rather than employees.
The U.S Labor Department introduced the proposed labor rule on Tuesday and although it is still a proposal that is yet to become law, it highlights major implications on companies such as Uber and Lyft. The rule will allow the companies to consider gig workers, construction workers, and janitors as contract workers rather than employees.
What are the implications of the proposed labor rule?
There are significant implications that will come into play if the proposed labor rule is passed. For example, companies do not have to pay overtime or minimum wage to contractors. They would also not be mandated to pay social security taxes, compensation insurance, or even employment insurance for the contractors.
The proposed rule would thus affect many people if it is passed into law. Also worth noting is that it would only affect laws that are enforced by the labor department. This includes overtime rules and minimum wage guidelines. This rule would thus give companies such as Lyft and Uber the mandate to effectively reduce the pay and benefits for their contractors while giving them an opportunity to achieve higher profit margins.
So why is the U.S Labor department proposing such a rule that will disfavor some workers? Well, they want to make it easier to identify the lines between employees and contractual workers especially with regards to matters regarding taxation and other legal benefits.
“The department’s proposal aims to bring clarity and consistency to the determination of who’s an independent contractor,” stated Eugene Scalia, the current Labor Secretary.
Scalia also stated that the rule would alight with the workers’ interests in pursuing their entrepreneurship interests. The same interests that are associated with being an independent contractor. It means workers have the right to pursue growth opportunities within their line of work. On the flip side, it also means that workers might feel that their jobs are less secure.