Uber, Lyft, and other transportation network companies (TNCs) may find themselves having to rethink their models if states and the federal government pass legislation limiting the so-called gig economy, where workers essentially freelance rather than being hired as full- or part-time workers.
Legislators in California and other states have begun working on laws that would greatly restrict the ability of companies–including TNCs–to hire gig workers. Some federal legislators are now saying they like the model those states have developed and wonder if national laws should follow suit. Lawmakers say limiting gig employment protects workers; TNCs and some drivers say it would devastate their ability to both hire and work as they wish.