Posted on 12/19/2019 10:17:32 AM PST by karpov
Rather than spending the holidays relaxing, Will Griffith needs to decide whether he should immediately leave the freelance gig he's had for the past five years or stick around until his contract is terminated in March.
Griffith was one of 200 Vox Media freelancers in California who lost their job on Monday. The company nixed freelancers because of a new state law that defines some positions previously filled by freelancers or gig workers as full-time roles with benefits. The law takes effect January 1.
California lawmakers meant for the new law, Assembly Bill 5, to help Uber and Lyft drivers get more pay and benefits for working long hours. But instead, to save money, companies responded by slashing jobs for part-time and full-time freelance workers altogether — right before the holidays.
Business Insider spoke with eight current freelancers or former freelancers who said they lost jobs or were affected by AB5 — five worked for Vox's SB Nation sports websites, which employs mostly freelancers, and three worked elsewhere as freelance writers. Vox did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why jobs were cut.
"That website has been a part of my life since I was reading it at 14 years old," Griffith told Business Insider regarding his work on the Vox-owned site Sactown Royalty, which covers the Sacramento Kings basketball team. "Sacramento wouldn't have an NBA team without Sactown Royalty as a rallying point. The community of readers and writers is some of the best in the country, and [Vox] completely stabbed those readers and writers in the back."
After Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB5 in September, many labor experts praised the law for prohibiting companies from using freelance workers without giving them benefits like healthcare. Newsom's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Schadenfreude!
Got Democrats?
Merry Christmas!
#learntocode
I see yer problem right there....
These bozos will continue to vote Democrat even if they’re cooking the dog for dinner.
Learn to code.
My question is will they have the electricity to cook the dog?
And if not, will they burn the whole state down with their dog cookin’ fire?
“These bozos will continue to vote Democrat even if they’re cooking the dog for dinner.”
Not just vote Democrat, but violently oppose anyone who doesn’t. As California goes, so goes America. I am very pessimistic about our future.
“California lawmakers meant for the new law, Assembly Bill 5, to help Uber and Lyft drivers get more pay and benefits for working long hours. But instead, to save money, companies responded by slashing jobs for part-time and full-time freelance workers altogether — right before the holidays.”
The great philosopher Ringo Starr had it right when he said, “Everything that the government touches turns to $hit.” Again, the article just provides another example of this principle. Government should STOP interfering with the markets. Lay down some safety rules and some limitations on hours for wage earners (as opposed to salaried workers).
I just hope that those who were fired don’t emote and blame their company for firing them, but that they think this through and understand that the blame falls squarely upon the legislature.
They work for VOX.
I love it when leftists have to eat a leftist shit-sandwich.
I keep seeing “learn to code” written in a mocking way. Is coding what used to be called programming? Do people get paid (paid well?) who know how to code?
Merry Kwanzaa, Cali!
They bragged about how this law would help gig workers.
Nice work, dumbbells!
liberal is WAY too nice
more like fascists with a psychopathic and unGodly agenda.
Won't help. Freelance programmers are hit too.
Maybe the workers who don't require physical presence, like the drivers do, can either move or just get a Nevada PO box as their "address" to hide from this idiotic law.
You mean “Happy Holidays” *eyeroll*
As am I. They probably feel that the correct response should be for California to pass a law making it illegal for Vox to fire anybody.
They really intended to do this. The left doesn’t like this type of employment.
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