Labor & Employment (Gig Economy)

LB 747 amends Nebraska labor laws to remove the requirement for employers to obtain child employment certificates for workers under 16, simplifying compliance for businesses hiring minors. It eliminates a hotline and website for reporting suspected employee misclassification violations and grants the Labor Commissioner expanded authority to enforce wage payment laws. The bill affects all Nebraska employers, particularly those with minor employees or payroll systems, by updating enforcement mechanisms. It also repeals outdated sections of labor law to create more consistent regulations across child labor, wage collection, contractor registration, and employee classification rules.

LB 229 amends Nebraska's Employment Security Law to exclude "marketplace network contractors" (such as delivery drivers or ride-share workers for platforms like Uber) from the law's definition of "employment." This means these workers would no longer qualify for unemployment benefits under Nebraska's system. The bill achieves this by adding a specific exclusion to the law's definition of "employment," clarifying that services performed for marketplace network platforms are not covered. The change directly affects independent contractors working through digital platforms, not the platforms themselves or traditional employees.