The Devastating Impact of AB5 on People with Disabilities and Their Families

This month, sweeping economic changes to the way Independent Contractors are able to conduct business became chiseled into law in…

Chasing Work: A Florist's Business Survived Breast Cancer, but AB5 Might Kill It | Independent Women's Forum

In 2009, Monica Wyman founded RSVP Floral Designs, a flower shop designing arrangements for weddings and other events in Temecula, […]

AB5 Impact on Deaf & Hard of Hearing

"Sign Language Interpreting and Realtime Captioning are decades-old industries that have a long history of freelance independent contractors who are in business for themselves and who provide these vital services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. These services make it possible for this protected class to live their lives through communication with the public, their peers, neighbors, co-workers and families, communication that most of us take for granted. Sign language interpreters and realtime captioners are both highly paid and highly skilled professionals. They undergo years of training, and in the case of captioners, have to obtain and provide expensive equipment and software. They are true professionals in every sense of the word. These are not the workers that AB5 set out to protect from corporate abuse. These industries have a long history of freelancing and because the ABC test is more stringent than the Borello test, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities are very concerned that AB5 will be very disruptive. This is because converting providers into employee status may result in lower rates of pay, loss of independence & flexibility, loss of say over what hours they work and what jobs they work; essentially, the loss of the opportunity to “be their own boss.” Going against the preferred culture to make this change in status may lead to providers exiting the industry or even leaving the state of California to practice elsewhere. The resulting reduction in these essential services to those that need it, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community of California, would be disastrous for their lives! This is an industry that already suffers from a lack of skilled providers. Adding one more hoop to jump through to obtain services is recognizably undesirable. In short, in these professions, independent contractor status is frequently desired and not forced unwillingly upon the practitioners and is a critical component of meeting the demands of the ADA." For more information, visit https://www.ab5info.com/

California Wedding Industry Turned ‘On Top of Its Head’ by Freelancing Law

Weddings include hiring florists and a variety of other specialty workers on a one-day contract. California's law against this is a blow to the industry.

Assembly Bill 5 harms hundreds of industries and professions - Sacramento Business Journal

This onerous law will affect all Californians in profound ways, directly and indirectly, says the administrator of Freelancers Against AB5 on Facebook.

Theater Cancels Performances Due to Rising Costs from AB5

“When I say it breaks my heart I mean it," Lebano said. "I created this program. I believe in this program. To cancel was very hard. Was very hard.” But he says AB5 left the theater’s board with little choice.

AB 5 Limits Access to Healthcare for Californians

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (PRWEB) January 21, 2020 -- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are one of the many professions deeply impacted by this new law and Californians should be wary of how this will affect their healthcare delivery.

Coronavirus: Hospital Interpreter Shortage Can Be Deadly Due to AB5

"Muñoz says the shortage of interpreters is a perfect storm. First AB5 kneecapped the industry, because out of state translation services dropped many of their California interpreters in January. Two months later, the pandemic hit."

California Youth Athletic Programs Cut Back Because of Freelancer Law AB 5

IRVINE, Calif.—Youth athletics programs in California are facing major budget hurdles in complying with Assembly Bill (AB 5), ...

California’s AB5 Is Such A Mess, ‘Pandemic Pods’ Might Not Even Be Safe | Independent Women's Forum

California lawmakers scrambled to clean up their disastrous Assembly Bill 5 statute, passing a bill last week into law that grants certain […]

California loves the arts. But its new gig law could decimate theater

Theaters will face a drastic increase in expenses when they reopen, as AB5 requires even small companies to turn actors, stagehands, technicians, costume makers and musicians into employees.

California’s AB 5 kills off 40-year Lake Tahoe Music Festival - California Globe

California’s AB 5 has taken another life: The new law has now killed off the 40-year old Lake Tahoe Music Festival. "After 40+ years of classical music

California Lawmakers Unwittingly Make Surgery Much More Dangerous

California’s population of nearly 40 million is served by just 8,500 anesthesiologists, 2,200 of whom are certified registered nurse anesthesiologists (CRNAs). California’s recent anti–independent contractor bill, AB5, is making this shortage much worse and making anesthesiology more dangerous for patients.

Is AB5 closing the curtain on community theater? |

Contra Costa Musical Theater is the latest casualty of AB5, the new “gig-worker” law authored by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzales (D-San Diego) and signed into law last September by Gavin Newsom. The law, meant to be a stake to the heart of Uber and Lyft, requires most independent contractors to be classified as W2 employees unless they are a “business” as defined by the highly restrictive [...]

AB5 Imperils Court Reporting Industry | Todd Olivas & Associates

"AB5 is an existential threat to the entirety of the court reporting industry."

Why California's AB-5 is a threat to the American way of life

"So how did California end up in a position where people’s established livelihoods — and their lifestyle choices — are under threat?"

New AB5 Carve-Out Stays Vague for Adult, FSC Working on Guidance AVN

A new bill that appears to exempt adult performers from reclassification as "employees" raises more questions than it answers.

Why Threatening The Gig Economy Means Threatening Working Mothers

Somehow the California State Assembly managed to threaten free press, freelance writers, and working mothers — all with a single piece of legislation.

California's AB5 destroys women, minorities Gonzalez claims to champion

Asm. Gonzalez’s insistence that California's AB5 remain, she is essentially destroying thousands of business, particularly those that are women and minority-owned.

New California Law Imperils Franchise Model | Fox Rothschild LLP - JDSupra

"More than 75,000 CA franchisees could be adversely affected by AB5: "AB-5 was intended to benefit workers, including franchise employees, who are viewed as underpaid and overworked. Regardless of one’s opinion of the veracity of the assumption, the ultimate effect of AB-5 may be quite the opposite. The law may result in fewer franchisee employers, fewer employment positions in franchises, fewer entry-level employment positions, and increased costs and control for franchisees who continue to operate in California."

For Some Small Arts Groups in CA, Adhering to Labor Law Means Not Paying Artists | KQED

AB5 was supposed to convert independent contractors to employees, but some nonprofits can’t afford to do so, and now rely on artists to volunteer their labor. “It is a point of crisis,” says Martha Demson, producing artistic director of Open Fist Theatre Company in Los Angeles. When AB5 became law in January 2020, Demson says she couldn’t afford to put artists she used to hire as freelancers on payroll. So instead, she made them volunteers. “It was a very sad day when we took that decision,” Demson says. “It”s not something anyone relished.”

AB 5 threatens the existence of contracting relationships for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who clearly choose to work in such an arrangement.

Attention Physical Therapists: "AB5 threatens the existence of contracting relationships for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who clearly choose to work in such an arrangement. Members of the California Physical Therapy Association are urged to report their experiences to CPTA so we may better understand the breadth of this problem and convey it appropriately to lawmakers."

Assembly Bill 5 threatens performing artists, theatres – The Coast News Group

“At the end of the day, it’s not like I’m hiding my whole $42,000 income from the government,” West added. “I’m poor and going after me because I have a $500 stipend here and $500 stipend from there, that’s already reported, so what are you trying to do? It’s not understanding the labor ecology. You’re destroying an ecology that will never come back. And she’s burning it.” businesses to prove a worker is an independent contractor.

AB5 Gig Economy Law Threatens California's Coronavirus Response, Economic Recovery | Investor's Business Daily

California's AB5 gig economy law was already crushing some professions, and the coronavirus has revealed how it's also hindering the response to the crisis.

(1) Indie Filmmaking & AB5 - YouTube

Golf caddies caught up in ramifications of new state law

PEBBLE BEACH — A new state law meant to help protect gig workers such as those who work for Uber and Lyft, is also affecting Pebble Beach caddies.

California's War on Gig Work Falls Hardest on Women - Foundation for Economic Education

Two-thirds of U.S. freelancers across industries are female, according to PayPal’s “U.S. Freelancer Insights Report.”

AB5 is a Potential Neutron Bomb for Franchises

"The retroactive application of the [law's] ABC test could decimate California franchise businesses."

This California Law Is Ripping Away American Dreams.

Three women share how a new California law is putting them out of work.

AB5 & How It Screws YouTube Creators | Emily D. Baker Legal Badass

"If you are a content creator who hires an outside editor or videographer, the person you are working with would have to be your [the creator's] employee. Here is what that looks like…they have to be paid W-2…like through a payroll company and the creator will need to pay payroll and likely unemployment taxes for that employee. The creator will become responsible for adhering to the labor laws in Ca., including work hours, break periods. The creator can also be sued for workplace discrimination, harassment and workers' compensation if your employee gets hurt out on a shoot. The creator will need to have insurance to cover their business, oh yea …and will need an actual business. I would never advise hiring employees as a sole proprietor. This means forming an LLC or C-Corporation and adhering to all those rules and regulations as well."

Open Letter to Suspend California AB-5: News: The Independent Institute

AB-5 is doing substantial harm to the very people who now have the fewest resources and alternatives.

This new law was meant to target Uber. So why could it hurt hospitals? | Advisory Board Daily Briefing

"One affected professional is Jeffrey Darna, an assistant professor who directs the USC Program of Nurse Anesthesia and also works as a contract nurse anesthesiologist in local hospitals. He will do longer be able to hold his contract roles—and in rural counties, his work may be hard to get replacements. "Access to rural health care is at risk now because of this law," he told the Los Angeles Times."

AB 2257: Sweeping Changes To AB 5 Independent Contractor Law | California Peculiarities Employment Law Blog

Seyfarth Synopsis: Businesses operating in California have had all of eight months to adapt since Assembly Bill 5, a landmark piece of legislation

California's Odd Desire to Suffocate the 'Gig Economy' | RealClearMarkets

If our current economy were a swimmer paddling furiously against a surging tide, then California is determined to hand it an anchor. Millions of Americans who work to make ends meet through freelance

AB2257: Not Much Better Than AB5 for Most Industries in California Using Independent Contractors | Locke Lord LLP - JDSupra

Many independent contractors complained of dire consequences after Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) became effective in California on January 1, 2020. Following...

Will AB 5 quietly kill California’s LGBTQ and independent press?

"The recent ruling denying a temporary exemption to freelance journalists and photographers is disheartening, to say the least. The people who stand to lose are those who are already the most vulnerable in the media world: people of color, women, LGBTQ+ writers, and those who work from home because of a disability."

Statement by Edwin Lombard, CEO CA Black Chamber of Commerce on the future of AB5 | Business Wire

Edwin Lombard, California Black Chamber president and CEO, criticizes AB5's author for comments she made about AB5 & the African American community: "AB5 has already crushed thousands of Black businesses and will keep more from operating in the Gig Economy. Nearly a million Californians would lose jobs, opportunities, and independence if the future of AB5 were up to you."

AB5 Reclassifies Political Campaign Workers and Ballot Initiative Workers as Employees

Impact on Political Campaigns and Ballot Initiatives: "Many political campaign workers will not be able to satisfy the ABC test. Campaign staff, phone bank workers, canvassers, petition circulators and other lower-level workers on candidate or ballot measure campaigns will likely be reclassified as employees. Political campaigns have to face the fact that they are effectively 'employers,' which have to comply with a multitude of employment laws."

Editorial: Prop. 22 would stop the assault on gig firms and workers

Unions want to kill Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart, which have revolutionized transportation and shopping.

Independent Contractor Issues in California: Summer 2020 Update

It is worth noting that AB 5 uses approximately 130 words to describe the ABC test, and approximately 3,478 words to describe the exceptions.

An Overview of California AB5 Legal Changes for Truckers | Top Class Actions

In passing California AB5, lawmakers sought to reclassify gig workers as regular employees, but the trucking industry is fighting against the law in court.

Impact On Notaries Unclear Amid New California ‘Independent Contractor’ Law | NNA

National Notary Association: "We firmly believe that Notaries who have been in business for themselves as independent contractors should be allowed to remain that way. Because of the questions and lack of clarity, we predict there will be challenges to AB 5 in 2020"

California Law AB5 Endangers Bug Bounty Programs

Independent contractors in cybersecurity research will be impacted by AB5

California’s terrible AB5 came for me today, and I’m devastated

“I am heartbroken that the state I love so much has forced a company I love working for to cut formal ties with people who are doing amazing work -- and who are able to help themselves and their families with the extra income that a passion project or side hustle can sometimes provide.”

The Drastic and Destructive Consequences of AB 5 - California Globe

For writers, AB 5 is a form of deplatforming, but less subtle and equally harmful. It is blatant oppression. For political campaign workers who must be converted to employees, AB 5 will have a chilling effect on underfunded political campaigns, making it even harder for them to challenge incumbents in the one-party state.

AB5 Projected to Destroy Video Game Industry in California

Over 30 percent in the industry are independent contractors. Mass exodus of companies from California predicted.

AB5: California Passes Bill That Translators, Interpreters Say Threatens Livelihood | Slator

AB5 threatens livelihoods of translators and interpreters.

Assembly Bill 5 Imperils the Independent Workforce

“Those most adversely affected include stay-at-home moms, minorities, the disabled, the chronically ill, college students, seniors, and marginalized citizens whose freelance careers have allowed them the flexibility to work from home and thrive.”

High school sports coverage on the losing end of AB5 —Columbia Journalism Review

"He sees his freelance work covering high school sports as something of a community service. 'High school sports are there for the community,' he says. 'That’s half the reason I do it, and it’s half the reason I feel threatened by this. It’s not just money and it’s not just a job that’s being threatened, it’s the community feeling threatened by this. It feels like the state of California has a beef with Uber and we’re caught in the crossfire.'."

How a new law is shaking the foundations of California's caddie culture

California’s "gig worker bill" was aimed at companies like Lyft, Uber and DoorDash. But is has set both caddies and their clubs on edge.