Contact:  Karen Hickey, 414-573-7579, khickey@wisaflcio.org

Stephanie Bloomingdale, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, released the following statement on Gov. Evers Executive Order #20 to combat worker misclassification and payroll fraud that is hurting working families and costing the state of Wisconsin.

“Governor Evers’ Executive Order #20 takes an important step forward to addressing the serious problem of worker misclassification in Wisconsin. Worker misclassification is a type of fraud that cheats too many workers out of rightfully-earned wages as well as their rights, while harming other workers, taxpayers, and law-abiding businesses. By misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor or paying a worker in cash, the employee loses pay, has decreased safety at work, and loses rights at work, while the state and our communities miss out on owed tax dollars.

Worker misclassifying is not a new issue, but with the gigification of our economy and the growth of on-demand work, too many employees are being incorrectly labeled as independent contractors, losing out on better wages, benefits and workplace protections. Companies are reaping in the profits, while workers lose out on earned wages and rights.

Worker misclassification can happen in almost any employment setting, but is increasingly common in the construction, trucking, homecare, and on-demand industries. Gov. Evers is correct to tackle this issue and hold cheating employers accountable so that working families can continue to build our middle class and grow our economy with good, family-supporting jobs.”

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