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In a ruling with potentially sweeping consequences for the so-called gig economy, the California Supreme Court on Monday made it much more difficult for companies to classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees.
The decision could eventually require companies like Uber, many of which are based in California, to follow minimum-wage and overtime laws and to pay workers' compensation and unemployment insurance and payroll taxes, potentially upending their business models.
Industry executives have estimated that classifying drivers and other gig workers as employees tends to cost 20 to 30 percent more than classifying them as contractors. It also brings benefits that can offset these costs, though, like the ability to control schedules and the manner of work.
"It's a massive thing — definitely a game-changer that will force everyone to take a fresh look at the whole issue," said Richard Meneghello, a co-chairman of the gig-economy practice group at the management-side law firm Fisher Phillips.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/business/economy/gig-economy-ruling.html
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 04 2018, @10:34AM
In the end it all comes down to EROEI - Energy Return On Energy Invested.
Traditional fossil fuels are over 100. Sometimes over 100,000.
It is not that long ago that 'renewables' passed 1. They are now up to between 5 and 50 depending on which renewable where.
The importance of this is related to the fact that 1/EROEI of your economy is devoted to energy production. (Where economy is measured by energy consumption)
Eg fossil fuels, Better than I/100 is small, almost negligible, and drove most of the economic growth of the 20th century. Yes, they are running out and we need to adapt, but If your renewables have an EROEI of 5, then 20% of your economy is diverted to simply providing energy to the rest. That is a huge hit.