A proposed ballot measure in California would classify any nurse or healthcare worker who uses a digital platform to secure work as an independent contractor.
A group called Californians for Equitable Healthcare Access proposed the measure, which was filed with the state's attorney general's office Jan. 24. Nielsen Merksamer — the same firm behind Uber's fight to designate drivers as independent contractors in California — submitted the proposed legislation.
The measure would legally declare that any healthcare worker booking shifts through digital services must be classified as an independent contractor. Such a classification would allow nurses to work in an "on-demand" fashion at various hospitals and facilities, without signing with a staffing agency, according to Nurse.org. As independent contractors, they would not have access to the same protections and benefits as healthcare employees.
The legislation comes amid the creation of more nurse-for-hire services and digital apps that seek to connect healthcare workers with open shifts, similar to Uber or Lyft.
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