WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of Labor has proposed new rules governing overtime pay for salaried workers. It is also expected to finalize highly-anticipated proposed rules governing independent contractors and franchises soon.
Patrice Onwuka, director of the Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) at Independent Women’s Forum, issued the following statement:
“Labor Day should be a time for female American workers to reflect on the opportunities available to them in our economy. Women have many choices in how they work today: part-time or full-time; employee or independent contractor; small business or side hustle. However, President Biden and his administration are flooding the labor force with new regulations that will paralyze small businesses, end flexibility, and lead to job losses.
“New proposed overtime rules–similar to those blocked by a federal court during the Obama Administration–will hike labor costs beyond what employers can afford. Younger workers and new college grads will face the loss of opportunities as a result.
“Meanwhile, the Department of Labor is set to finalize its regulatory crackdown on independent contractors nationwide. Women seek flexibility and freedom to balance caregiving or other priorities. Over half of the nation’s 65 million+ freelancers are women and they choose an independent status over W-2 employment because it fits their needs and schedules. President Biden is bent on removing flexibility, destroying independent contracting opportunities, and forcing women back into the traditional 9-to-5 jobs they don’t want.
“Biden’s partisan labor policies are anti-woman, anti-worker, and anti-small business.”
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Independent Women’s Forum is dedicated to developing and advancing policies that aren’t just well intended but actually enhance people’s freedom, choices, and opportunities.