I'm Testifying Before Congress Tomorrow
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Catch Me Before Congress at 9am ET
The cat is out of the proverbial bag: I’m testifying before Congress tomorrow for the first time.
The House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, chaired by Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA), will featured four witnesses, myself included, to discuss the viability of portable benefits for independent contractors. I’ll be speaking on behalf of the Independent Women’s Forum Center for Economic Opportunity, where I occasionally contribute to even as Director of our Center for Energy and Conservation.
When I was a full-time freelancer, I secured benefits for myself - now I’m part-time freelancing - and it was quite the experience. If you’re unfamiliar with this issue, this is a great opportunity to learn about the need to decouple benefits from employment status to prevent forced worker reclassification from independent contractor status to W-2 employee.
Here’s what Chairman Kiley said ahead of the hearing:
“The dynamics of America’s workforce are rapidly changing, and it’s critical that we keep up by developing innovative policies that support this evolving framework,” said Chairman Kiley. “Access to benefits should never be out of reach for workers, regardless of how they choose to participate in the economy. This hearing will give us important insight into how we can ensure millions of independent contractors can keep their flexible work arrangements while also gaining access to benefits.”
Curious to know who’s testifying besides me? Here’s a list:
Ms. Kristin Sharp, Chief Executive Officer, Flex Association
Ms. Gabriella Hoffman, Senior Policy Analyst, Independent Women's Forum Center for Economic Opportunity
Dr. Katie Wells, Postdoctoral Fritz Fellow, Tech and Society Initiative, Georgetown University
Dr. Liya Palagashvili, Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center at George Mason University
You can tune in virtually starting at 9am ET tomorrow to see how I do. The link is provided below:
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—Gabriella
Good luck Gabby!