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Comment by s1artibartfast | Hacker News Reader

This whole topic seems to be unnecessary and stupid.

Gig workers should all be sole Proprietors of their own businesses. The only reason they aren't is because governments make it difficult to run your own business.

This would solve basically all of the legal and moral problems.

Gig workers would be responsible for all of their own benefits, but be able to deduct all of their business costs. They would be responsible for if their own business turns a profit or loss and if they want to continue it.

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> This would solve basically all of the legal and moral problems.

er...no, having my ramen delivery bike rider have to operate a ltd company to be paid below minimum wage doesn't solve any of the moral problems.

Why not? Do you care if the cook operating the LTD Ramen Shop is paying themselves minimum wage?

No, the expectation is that operating the business is their choice and they shut it down if they don't like the profit margin

Besides business cost deductions how does this solve the problems?

How would having it be a business make it different than the cost benefit they could do right now? I feel like "just make a business" doesn't actually help that much, especially not morally - I'm unsure what that means in this context, or how being a business solves it.

It solves the problem because there is no expectation to socially ensure every owner operated business is profitable.

If I open a hot dog stand or buy a taxi cab, nobody cares if I pay myself minimum wage or even make a profit.

Ah, so it takes the problem and dehumanizes it.

I think rather it highlights the hypocrisy and double think people have when they see the word employee.

They have completely different expectations for two cab drivers doing the same exact job if one is an employee and one is incorporated.

The employee is morally entitled to a minimum income and all sorts of benefits while the Incorporated one is responsible for taking care of themselves. This is understood and expected and the only difference is a piece of paper filed with the state

Under US law, a 1099 worker(contractor) is essentially its own business. You can deduct mileage and other expenses (including insurance premiums) that would generally fall under 'business costs'.

Under us law 1099 contractors are still employees. However, if you set up a sole proprietorship, you can engage in business to business contracts. In that scenario the counterparty is not responsible for any employee obligations.

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