Washington -Today, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, criticizing the Department's intent to propose a rule which would reclassify independent contractors as employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
In the letter, Congressman Allen argued this change would "dismantle the flexibilities that independent contractors want," and urged Secretary Walsh to abide by a Trump administration rule protecting workers from overreaching employment classifications.
Citing a 2021 study, Congressman Allen pointed out that 59 million workers – over a third of America's workforce– identified as independent contractors, a term which also includes freelancers and gig economy workers.
Congressman Allen wrote: "These are the workers that are continuing to shape our workforce," noting they "should be allowed to keep their status...not [be] forced into an arrangement that does not offer the same flexibility they currently enjoy."
"Should you move forward with this process, your rule would likely dismantle the flexibilities that independent contractors want, which is in many cases why they decide to be independent contractors in the first place," Congressman Allen added.
Congressman Allen is the lead House sponsor of the Employee Rights Act, which, among other pro-worker provisions, would enshrine protections for independent contractors into federal law.
