There are currently three amendments to the Independent Contractor law up for vote as part of the 2011 Budget -- Amendments 200, 207, and 260. You can read them here by clicking on the appropriate number. Although Amendments 200 and 207 would be helpful solutions, we feel that their chances of passing are slim. Amendment 260 is the one that Senator Thomas McGee's office worked to put together and seems to have the greatest chance of passing.
In a nutshell: Amendment 260 exempts from Prong 2 of the current law those freelancers who work from their place of residence and who register with the Secretary of State. The amendment also includes provisions to protect employees who "may be coerced, threatened or intimidated into establishing an independent business."
In a nutshell: Amendment 260 exempts from Prong 2 of the current law those freelancers who work from their place of residence and who register with the Secretary of State. The amendment also includes provisions to protect employees who "may be coerced, threatened or intimidated into establishing an independent business."
Please take a look at the language in Amendment 260. We believe that this is a small step forward in helping Massachusetts Independent Contractors get back to work. We recognize that this language may still be problematic for some of you -- namely, those of you who do not work in your place of residence.
If you agree with the language in Amendment 260, please call your State Senators on Monday, May 24th, to ask for their support.
If you do not agree with the language in Amendment 260, we urge you to call Senator Thomas McGee's office (617-722-1350) and state why the language doesn't work. We don't know whether the language can be changed at this point (before the Senate Session on Tuesday, May 25th), but they should hear from you and understand how the amendment language affects your ability to work.
Please leave us your comments below so we can gauge your impressions of the language.
Don't forget to watch the Senate Session live on Tuesday, May 25th here.
If you do not agree with the language in Amendment 260, we urge you to call Senator Thomas McGee's office (617-722-1350) and state why the language doesn't work. We don't know whether the language can be changed at this point (before the Senate Session on Tuesday, May 25th), but they should hear from you and understand how the amendment language affects your ability to work.
Please leave us your comments below so we can gauge your impressions of the language.
Don't forget to watch the Senate Session live on Tuesday, May 25th here.
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An exemption for "freelancers who work from their place of residence and who register with the Secretary of State" seems like a good solution to me, at least for the interim, and would affect many of us who work from home offices.
ReplyDeleteI emailed my state senator (Cynthia Creem) this morning to ask for her support.
Laurie, we are all indebted to you for your hard work on this issue.