--- title: "New California Law Makes Uber and Lyft Drivers Employees" description: "A new bill, just passed by California's state senate, makes Uber and Lyft contractors actual employees and eligible for benefits." date: "2019-09-11" modified: "2019-09-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/california-law-uber-lyft-employees" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "california" - "gig economy" - "ride-sharing" - "the digest" - "Uber" --- # New California Law Makes Uber and Lyft Drivers Employees ![A new bill, just passed by California's state senate, makes Uber and Lyft contractors actual employees and eligible for benefits.]() *\Image: Uber/Victor Tangermann\* ## Ride Share Driving for Uber and Lyft might earn you a couple of extra bucks, but the gigs typically treat drivers as independent contractors rather than official employees — with no benefits, job security or few additional protections. But a new bill, [just passed]() by California's state senate, could flip that equation on its head, effectively making Uber and Lyft drivers employees. It'll make [over one million contractor workers]() — not just ride-sharing contractors **—** eligible for minimum wage, overtime pay, sick days, Social Security, Medicare and more — something that should've been the case from the get-go, labor groups [have argued](). ## Uber Lobby The ride-sharing companies want nothing to do with the new law, [arguing]() that their contractors fall somewhere between contractor and employee, as drivers own their own cars and are in control of their own working hours. The bill also applies to other workers whose employers determine how they perform their tasks or if their labor is part of the company's day-to-day business, including janitors, construction and food-delivery workers. It does however make some exceptions for freelance writers, lawyers and real-estate agents. The exact outcome of the bill — or how it will be put into effect — is still unclear. But it's unclear that ride-sharing companies will let the bill reshape the gig economy they've built without putting up a fight. **READ MORE:** [California just passed a bill that will make Uber and Lyft drivers employees]() \[*MIT Technology Review*\] **More on ride-sharing:** *[Ride-Hailing Apps Make Traffic Worse — And Now They’re Admitting It]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()