New California labor law AB 5 is already changing how businesses treat workers
LOS ANGELES - At Yogala Studios, a small, cozy storefront in Echo Park, the teachers work mostly part time, some giving just one class a week. Workshops are offered in "the ancient spiritual, philosophical and meditative traditions of yoga and tantra," as well as in "meditation to tap into our creative potential to move through negative blocks."
Recently, though, the studio has had to confront a very modern challenge: It is reclassifying its instructors, who had always been independent contractors, as employees with extensive labor protections because of California's sweeping new law, Assembly Bill 5.
They aren't complaining. "These are yogis," said owner Samantha Garrison. "They look on the bright side of things."
Across California, AB 5 is upending workplaces, prompting lawsuits, furious social media campaigns and a multimillion-dollar ballot initiative, sponsored by Uber, Lyft, Postmates and DoorDash, which are refusing to grant employee status to their tens of thousands of drivers.
But as critics demand exemptions and even a repeal of the statute, many California businesses, large and small, are quietly adopting strategies to comply with the law, which took effect last month. It hasn't been easy.
