The second huge thing the SEC announced this year was a proposal to allow gig workers to receive stock compensation.

As early as 2017, executives at the ride-sharing platform Uber reportedly met with US Securities and Exchange Commission officials about granting company stock to their independent-contractor drivers.

By February 2019, the Wall Street Journal reported that, with their initial public offerings approaching, Uber and its competitor Lyft found a way to... See more

While the gig model delivers real benefits to customers in terms of convenience and low prices, the paradigm exists in a legal gray area in terms of worker classification, depriving workers of minimum wage protection, workers’ compensation, health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off.

A decade ago, equity compensation — paying employees with company stock — was a perk reserved solely for executives. The practice was largely deployed by companies as a way to optimize retention while keeping their balance sheets clean. Since then, equity compensation has expanded quickly. Within the next 10 years, it’s estimated that public... See more