The Empowering App-Based Workers Act requires app-based labor platforms like Uber, DoorDash, and Amazon to operate with greater transparency and accountability regarding how they pay workers and make decisions that affect their employment. The bill applies to millions of workers in ride-hailing, delivery, retail, hospitality, and warehousing and requires platforms to disclose itemized pay information, explain how algorithms set wages and assign work, cap their own fees at 25% for transportation services, and provide workers written notice before using electronic monitoring or automated decision systems. The legislation also prohibits wage discrimination for similar work, mandates detailed pay statements showing tips and platform fees, and requires platforms to show consumers how much of their payment reaches workers versus goes to the company. Enforcement is handled by the Department of Labor, which can investigate violations and require corrective action, while workers can sue platforms for violations with statutory damages ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 or more per violation plus attorney's fees, and the bill includes strong whistleblower protections preventing retaliation against workers who assert their rights. The act preserves workers' existing rights under federal labor law and protects scheduling flexibility while prohibiting platforms from using arbitration clauses or nondisclosure agreements to block workers from enforcing these protections.
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