On Monday afternoon, the House Committee on Rules will hold a public hearing on House Bill 2498. This bill would turn independent contractor laws upside down in Oregon. All independent contractors could be impacted – truckers, hair stylists, doctors, dentists, insurance agents, taxicab operators, lawyers, consultants, realtors, and home builders, among others!

House Bill 2498 changes the current test to determine who is considered an employee versus an independent contractor in Oregon. It does this by adding a new question to the test:

Is the worker’s service outside the usual course of business?

If the answer is ‘NO’ you will NO LONGER BE CONSIDERED AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR! HB 2498 will force you to be reclassified as an “employee.”

This new employment test will drive up the cost of doing business both for employers and independent contractors, reduce flexibility for many self-employed individuals, and is likely to spur litigation for Oregon businesses.

House Bill 2498 won’t just impact a handful of industries…it has significant implications statewide!

In Washington State last month, over 1,000 hair stylists stormed the state capitol to tell legislators that a similar proposal was out of touch. We need that same grassroots effort in Salem on Monday afternoon!

To learn more about how you can get involved, please contact Linda Moholt at linda@tualatinchamber.com or 503-692-0780.