Labor Board Expands Definition of Employee, Boosting Gig Workers' Unionization Efforts.
The National Labor Relations Board, now with a Democratic majority, has overturned a Trump-era ruling and broadened the definition of employee, making it more likely for workers to be considered employees rather than contractors under federal law. The decision increases the number of workers who have a federally protected right to unionize or take other collective action. The ruling ensures that workers who seek to organize or exercise their rights under the National Labor Relations Act are not improperly excluded from its protections. The decision was criticized by businesses that rely heavily on contractors, including Uber and Lyft.