Traveling sales businesses, such as door-to-door magazine subscription sales, almost exclusively recruit unemployed or under-employed young adults, promising a fun job, travel, and high profits. Instead, recruits can find themselves in unfamiliar places, away from their home states, traveling in a group van, dependent on their employers for food and housing and with limited options and in situations at risk for labor trafficking.

In addition, solicitations by unregulated traveling sales crews under pressure to meet quotas to cover their room and board can be a nuisance to residents.
 
One challenge is that business owners are able to classify sales crew members as independent contractors or outdoor salespeople—affording workers few labor protections. That is why I am introducing the Traveling Sales Crew Worker Misclassification Act. This legislation will require traveling sales workers to be recognized as employees with all attendant rights and entitlements, rather than as independent contractors. The bill also requires traveling sales crews to register with the Department of Labor and Industry, carry insurance, and ensure vehicles used by crews are safe.  Lastly, the bill provides protections against the exploitation of these vulnerable workers.

Please consider joining me in sponsoring this legislation and protecting young salespeople, workers and consumers in Pennsylvania.