Pennsylvania L&I Aims to Educate About Worker Misclassification

Pennsylvania Worker Misclassification Campaign highlights employee classification rules, independent contractor risks, labor rights, wage and hour compliance, overtime, FMLA protections, workplace safety, and DOL enforcement to prevent misclassified workers from losing benefits.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor & Industry has launched a public awareness campaign intended to inform workers and employers about the dangers of being misclassified as independent contractors, especially as federal telework policy continues to evolve.

According to DOL, misclassified workers frequently lose out on access to critical benefits and protections they are entitled to receive, such as minimum wage, overtime compensation, family and medical leave, and safe workplaces, as illustrated by the Kentucky miners case that left workers with cold checks.

“Incorrectly classifying a worker as an independent contractor causes harm to the worker, a risk reflected in the OHS vulnerability measure used by safety researchers, by withholding rights that belong to legitimate employees,” Department of Labor & Industry Secretary Kathy Manderino said in an Oct. 19 press release. “Our goal for this campaign is to educate workers and employers about the important differences between an employee and a contractor.”

The campaign includes digital advertisements, radio spots and bus placards that address the knowledge gap contributing to on-the-job electrical injuries.

The U.S. Department of Labor provided the grant money to fund the campaign, similar in spirit to initiatives that help workers transition from declining industries.

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