Employment ambit to be widened to include gig workers

The government is considering tweaking how it defines ‘business’ to widen coverage to include new forms of the workforce, including gig and platform workers and Anganwadi workers, ahead of a new national policy that will try to ensure a fair deal to workers.

The need for a revised and comprehensive definition of work is being felt because of the evolving forms of the employment, a senior government official told ET.

“The new form of workers, including gig and platform workers, should be considered in when the government thinks of India’s first National Employment Policy,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

The revised definition is expected to address the huge issue of disguised employment, under which laborers are denied rightful dues as their work isn’t covered in India’s current definition of work.

Under the new policy and the revamped definition, the businesses’ risk might rise in terms of minimum wages, weekly rest and annual leaves, alongside other work-related benefits.

The Industrial Relations Code, 2020 defines ‘representative’ as any person (other than a student connected with under the Apprentices Act, 1961) employed by an industrial establishment to do any skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled, manual, operational, supervisory, administrative, managerial, specialized or administrative work for recruit or award while an ‘business’ signifies a person who utilizes, regardless of whether directly or through any person, or for his benefit or in the behalf of any individual, at least one more employee in his establishment.