Increasingly, America’s workers are seeing their jobs provide less and less of what they need to get by. For many, the hope of attaining a good job with good benefits is giving way to the reality of piece-rate work in part-time, short-term, be-your-own-boss “gigs.” This is the prevailing business model in today’s on demand economy, where workers drive for Uber, pack goods for Amazon, do odd jobs for Taskrabbit, or provide home services for Handy. By calling these workers “independent contractors,” many on demand companies transfer much of the risk of operating a business—but few of the benefits—from those who make the profits to those who do the work.

As technology improves our lives in so many ways, it should be harnessed to build a more inclusive economy—not to leave workers without decent incomes, an adequate safety net, and basic rights, including the right to take collective action. NELP works to ensure that workers in the on demand economy are covered by hard-won workplace protections. And we’re developing new models for turning “gig” jobs into good jobs.

Resource: State Agency Decisions Regarding On-Demand Workers