980CKNW The Jas Johal Show
Geoff Mason joins Jas Johal for a conversation on the mechanics of how a portable benefits plan could work:
It is going to be a new type of social safety net at the end of the day. It’s not really as simple as ‘should we treat gig economy workers as employees’, full stop, and provide the same sort of rights and protections that all employees have. That would be a simple solution but I don’t think it’s where we’re headed. It’s complicated, in part, because a lot … of gig workers enjoy the freedom and flexibility that comes with being an independent contractor… It’s about finding this middle ground that still respects the unique nature of these workers as not being full employees but doesn’t leave them entirely without the protections that our grandparents might have had as independent contractors.
Listen to the full episode: Ontario is designing a portable benefits plan