Class Year
2019
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Fall 2018
Department 1
Management
Abstract
The following research paper is intended to address the worker classification issue that has intensified due to the rise of the gig economy. After reviewing the current literature on the subject, it will be made clear that a change must be made to the binary classification system that is used in the United States, and to the methods used to categorize workers within the system. This paper proposes the addition of a ‘dependent contractor’ category, which would be a subcategory of employee, and would fall between independent contractor and employee in terms of what benefits they would be entitled to. In addition, a modified version of The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) test would be the only test used to classify workers. This would effectively limit the confusion that presently exists due to the use of multiple classification tests. Prior to any of these systematic changes being made, it is also proposed that a ‘safe harbor’ period be implemented to allow organizations the opportunity to prepare for any burden that they may face due to the changes that are eventually made, and for some dependent contractor benefits to naturally emerge.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Fendrick, Lisa J., "A Third Class of Worker: The Dependent Contractor" (2018). Student Publications. 653.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/653
Included in
Benefits and Compensation Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons, Organization Development Commons
Comments
Senior capstone paper written for OMS 405: Advanced Topics in IOD and OS: The Gig Economy.