News today on the misclassification of construction employees and recent court decisions in Oregon and California that FedEx’s employees are not independent contractors are reminders that misclassification of workers is rampant in this country and that misclassification hurts workers, honest companies, and government at every level.
“Companies have put more and more risk, responsibility, and cost on their employees-requiring employees to pay their own employment taxes, to do without worker’s comp coverage, to pay for their own uniforms, and to rent the tools they need to work,” said EPI’s Vice President Ross Eisenbrey, who has studied misclassification since the 1990’s. “Misclassification robs workers of fair pay and benefits, and contributes to an economy where wages are flat, profits are soaring, and CEOs and top brass get the lion’s share of pay increases. Meanwhile, the companies that do not arrange their business to avoid their employment responsibilities are disadvantaged. It’s not just bad labor practices, it is unfair competition.”