Independent Contractors are Temporarily Eligible for Unemployment Compensation Under the CARES Act

In a guest column published by the Memphis Business Journal, Greg Grisham explains that independent contractors – including those in Tennessee – will be able to recover unemployment benefits under the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed into law on March 27, 2020. In his column, Greg provides the eligibility requirements for independent contractors to qualify for the unemployment compensation and he also discusses the potential impact this could have on the “gig economy” into the future. He explains that “[w]hile the expansion of unemployment compensation to include independent contractors under the CARES Act is temporary, it may improve the prospects for passage of future federal legislation – or state-by-state legislation – that would provide independent contractors with greater legal rights.”

To read the article, visit the Memphis Business Journal (subscription required).