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Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
For Immediate Release: January 7, 2010
Sen. Andrew Rice
Sen. Rice Moves to Stop Employee Misclassification
and Increase State Revenues
State Sen. Andrew
Rice has filed legislation to stop employers from improperly
misclassifying workers as “independent contractors”
in order to avoid paying unemployment and other taxes. Senate Bill
1384 would allow the Oklahoma Tax Commission, Oklahoma Workers’
Compensation Court and Oklahoma Employment Security Commission to
share information and coordinate investigative and enforcement efforts
in order to find employers who intentionally misclassify individuals
as independent contractors rather than employees.
“This is an employer and worker fairness issue. The overwhelming
majority of Oklahoma businesses properly classify workers, but the
few who do not play by the rules are cheating their employees and
fellow tax payers,” said Rice, D-Oklahoma City. “This
bill would discourage further employee misclassification, protect
employee benefits, and would increase state revenue by recovering
those payroll taxes that currently aren’t being paid, and
should be.”
Rice went on to explain that when employees are misclassified they
may not be covered under certain antidiscrimination, leave and labor
standards laws, or have access to employer-provided health insurance
coverage and pension plans. Misclassification can also affect how
federal and state programs, such as payment of taxes and payments
into state workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance
programs, are administered.
The measure would also allow a database of information to be created,
which would be accessible by agency representatives responsible
for enforcement.
For more information contact:
Sen. Rice: 405-521-5610
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