Labor & Employment (Gig Economy)

HB 1166 regulates digital platforms that connect healthcare workers with facilities (like staffing apps). It requires these platforms to register with Pennsylvania’s Department of Health ($1,000 fee), verify workers’ licenses, background checks, and insurance, and maintain records for three years. The bill also sets rules ensuring healthcare workers using these platforms are classified as independent contractors (not employees) and must have annual physicals/CPR certification if providing direct patient care. These requirements apply directly to platforms operating in Pennsylvania and the healthcare workers using them.

SB 316 amends Pennsylvania's Human Relations Act by clarifying key definitions related to employment protections. It explicitly excludes domestic workers employed casually in private homes and family members (parents, spouses, children) working for relatives from being classified as "employees" under the law. The bill also expands the definition of "independent contractor" to include licensed professionals (e.g., doctors, lawyers) and individuals covered by federal fair housing laws. These changes directly affect which workers are subject to the Act's anti-discrimination protections, particularly impacting domestic workers and family-based employment arrangements.

SB 894 creates a formal process for businesses to register workers as independent contractors under Pennsylvania's Workers' Compensation Act. To register, a business must obtain a worker's signed waiver and affidavit confirming they are not an employee, agree to forgo workers' compensation benefits, and understand they cannot access the Uninsured Employers Fund if injured. If registered, the business is not liable for benefits or required to provide insurance coverage for that worker, and the worker loses eligibility for those benefits. Registration is valid annually unless the worker revokes it by filing a request with the department, which takes effect 10 days after submission.

SB 893 amends Pennsylvania's Construction Workplace Misclassification Act to clarify that construction workers registered under the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (2008) are considered independent contractors by default. This change directly affects construction workers and contractors in disputes over misclassification, shifting the burden of proof in such cases. The key provision states that current registration under the Home Improvement Act serves as strong evidence that a worker is an independent contractor, not an employee. This simplifies verification for employers and the Department of Labor but does not alter worker rights or create new registration requirements.