A recent opinion piece in The Hill dismissed the importance of portable benefits to workers. Unfortunately, that view not only misrepresents the conversation around benefits for independent workers, but it also ignores the reality of why more than 23 million Americans have chosen app-based work.

The vast majority of app-based workers say that they drive and deliver with platforms because it offers a level of flexibility and scalability that simply is not possible with traditional employment.

With app-based platforms, workers get to decide where, when and how often they work, whether their line of work is caregiving, education or another job. Some are students logging a few hours to cover rent, parents supplementing their income while balancing childcare or small business owners smoothing out income gaps.

The data is clear. According to Flex’s Economic Impact Report, 90 percent of such workers say flexibility is the key reason they participate in app-based work. Nearly two-thirds

© The Hill