WASHINGTON, D.C. – To kick off National Small Business Week, Independent Women is celebrating the entrepreneurs and small business owners powering America’s economy and welcoming a long-overdue shift in federal labor policy that restores clarity and protects freelance freedom.
Patrice Onwuka, vice president for economic policy, said:
“Part of America’s exceptionalism is that we are a nation of entrepreneurs. Small businesses underpin our economy, constituting 99% of all firms. Every town, city, state, and region thrives because of its small business community, which employs neighbors, supports schools, and sponsors youth sports. This year, we are encouraged that federal and state policies are taking the handcuffs off enterprising individuals. Deregulation, permanent tax cuts and benefits, and new benefits for freelancers are a win for small businesses nationwide.”
Read more on small businesses from Center for Economic Opportunity:
- It’s Time to Unwind Biden’s Chaos for Freelancers, Small Business
- SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler’s Visit to Hadrian Factory Spotlights the Power of Small Business and Big Business
SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS AND SMALL BUSINESSES
For far too long, federal labor policy created confusion and uncertainty around what it means to be an independent contractor. That uncertainty puts millions of workers at risk of losing the flexibility they depend on.
The Department of Labor’s updated independent contractor rule marks a meaningful course correction and would determine when a worker is classified as an independent contractor or an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act and related federal laws.
Independent Women recently completed a comment drive that produced over 250 comments from women in support of this new rule, and applauded the rule in a formal letter to the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division citing that it provides greater legal certainty and protects the flexibility millions of freelancers—especially women and caregivers—depend on.
The letter also argues how the 2024 Biden-era rule tightening classification standards created unnecessary confusion, increased compliance burdens, and threatened valuable work opportunities for more than 74 million independent workers.
INDEPENDENT WOMEN’S PORTABLE BENEFITS MODEL GAINS STATE MOMENTUM
In response to the demand in support for independent contractors and small businesses, Independent Women unveiled the Voluntary Portable Benefits Act—a forward-looking legislative model that protects worker freedom while expanding access to vital financial and healthcare benefits and protections.
This model has been enacted in five states and counting—including West Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming. Legislation has been introduced in North Carolina, Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
Congress and policymakers must continue building on this progress by protecting freelance freedom, reducing regulatory burdens, and ensuring that the modern workforce is supported, not restricted.
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