Hoffman’s full testimony can be found HERE once the hearing begins.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) today announced Gabriella (Gabby) Hoffman, senior policy analyst at IWF’s Center for Economic Opportunity, will testify before the U.S. House Education & the Workforce Committee’s Subcommittee on Workforce Protections on portable benefits for independent contractors at 9:00 a.m. ET on April 11. 

There are no independent contractor benefits, however, if there are no independent contractors. Congress is currently considering a Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn the Biden administration’s damaging independent contractor rule—which went into effect on March 11—that could lead to the forced reclassification of millions of Americans, including freelancers and gig workers.

All working Americans should have the right to choose when, how, and where they receive income. Gabby’s testimony highlights the fact that the 70+ million Americans who partake in freelance work overwhelmingly prefer to maintain their independence and are not traditional W-2 employees. By putting regulations on independent contracting positions, the government bars workers who depend on their small businesses and flexibility from freely pursuing their hopes and dreams.

The hearing, entitled “Unlocking Opportunity: Allowing Independent Contractors to Access Benefits,” will examine challenges faced by the growing number of Americans engaged in freelance work. Hoffman will share her unique experience as a freelancer and highlight the need for voluntary portable benefits to deter forced reclassification, allowing freelancers to maintain their work flexibility. 

In her testimony, Hoffman writes, in part, “Independent contractors are their own best negotiators and are fully capable of securing their own benefits without the threat of forced reclassification into W-2 employee status. To further unleash our economy’s economic potential, policymakers must bring labor and tax law into the 21st century to ensure all workers—not just employees—can have access to and pay into a benefits program should they choose.”

Hoffman will highlight:

  • The need to distinguish between portable and traditional employee benefits;
  • What a portable benefits program for independent and gig workers looks like;
  • How states such as Utah are already adopting the portable benefits model for freelancers; and
  • Potential public and private reforms to unleash portable benefits options for independent contractors.

Hoffman will call upon Congress to:

  • Allow independent contractors to take portable benefits they’ve accrued at their current job to a new one without losing coverage; 
  • Support independent contractors’ ability to secure their own benefits without the threat of forced reclassification into W-2 employee status;
  • Explore options to exempt voluntary portable benefits contributors from employment classification tests as Utah has done; and
  • Encourage the use of personal savings accounts—offered voluntarily through states or hiring entities—to give independent workers more assurances to pursue the 1099-worker lifestyle.

Independent Women’s Forum  is leading the fight to support independent contractors:

  • IWF signed an Independent Contracting Coalition Letter calling attention to the devastating new independent contractor rule from the Biden administration’s Department of Labor HERE.
  • Independent Women’s Voice (IWV), IWF’s c4 sister organization, recently visited Capitol Hill to urge Congress to protect the rights of independent contractors across the nation.
  • Judy Pino, spokeswoman for IWF, writes in DC Journal that Latinos dominate the gig economy and now face greater risk of loss from damaging reclassification rules. 
  • Whitney Munro, senior adviser for Independent Women’s Forum, writes in USA Today on how the DOL rule wages war on workers, women and entrepreneurs. 

Details:

WHAT: U.S. House Committee on Education & the Workforce, Subcommittee on Workforce Protections hearing, “Unlocking Opportunity: Allowing Independent Contractors to Access Benefits”

WHEN: Thursday, April 11, 2024 at 9 a.m. ET

WHERE: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2175 

Media inquiries: [email protected]

Hoffman’s full testimony will be available HERE once the hearing begins.

###

www.iwf.org

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. 

Independent Women’s Forum’s Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) aims to educate the public about how government policies impact people’s opportunities for economic development and upward mobility.