Centre may extend employment ambit to include gig workers

The government is considering making changes to the definition of 'employment' to extend coverage to gig workers, Anganwadi workers and platform workers, a government official told The Economic Times.

The Centre is gearing up to roll out the National Employment Policy that seeks to protect workers from exploitation. The evolving forms of work in India have prompted the government for a revised and comprehensive definition of employment, the official said.

"The new form of workers, including gig and platform workers, need to be factored in when the government comes up with India's first National Employment Policy," the official told the publication.

Read | Gig workers forgo dignity, safety in quest for a living

Under disguised employment, many workers are susceptible to exploitation as their arrangement may not come under the existing norms of employment.

As for the employers, some liabilities may arise in case of increased norms of minimum wage, weekly rest and annual waves along with other for-worker benefits.

Under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 defines 'employee' as any person (other than an apprentice engaged under the Apprentices Act, 1961) employed by an industrial establishment to do any skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled, manual, operational, supervisory, managerial, administrative, technical or clerical work for hire or reward while an 'employer' means a person who employs, whether directly or through any person, or on his behalf or on behalf of any person, one or more employee or worker n his establishment.

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