Tens of thousands of ride-hailing drivers in Washington state will be the first in the nation to be entitled to unemployment insurance and paid family and medical leave under the HB 1570 bill signed by the governor this week.
The new law comes a year after the passage of HB 2076, which set a minimum wage and other benefits for Lyft and Uber drivers, while maintaining their status as gig workers and not company employees.
The law will go into effect in July 2024.
For the purposes of the paid family or medical leave, a driver must have worked at least 820 hours in Washington during either the first four of the past five quarters, or the last four quarters, before submitting for leave. The total hours worked will be calculated by taking total earnings and dividing by the state’s minimum wage. Drivers will have to pay premiums into the program and will be reimbursed by the ride-hailing companies.
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