The coronavirus pandemic has spotlighted a fundamental flaw with the American employment ecosystem: worker health benefits in the U.S are typically tied to one’s employer, and with close to 15% of Americans out of a job, millions have lost their employee health benefits at a time that they need them most. Opolis announced the launch of the Employment Commons, a cooperative which brings together freelancers, creatives, consultants and gig workers to access high-quality, portable benefits and financial services. As nearly 20 million Americans face unemployment, many are joining the 57 million U.S. freelance workforce in hopes that self-employment will be more sustainable and allow them self-sovereign control of their health benefits.
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Says Opolis Executive Steward John Paller, “Opolis, as a Commons for Employment, is built as a public utility framework so that services and technology can be delivered to anyone, anywhere, at a sustainably low cost while allowing freelancers and gig workers everywhere to access the same health benefits, life and disability insurance, and other services that only corporate employees have had access to traditionally. All of the benefits are portable- they move with the individual from project to project or gig to gig. And right now, anyone can join at no cost for the first year. We just want to get people connected to the benefits and services they need most right now.”
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Currently, Opolis’ Employment Commons services include:
- Access High Quality, Affordable Group Healthcare Benefits
Choose a plan and keep it, including multi-state access
- Automatic Payroll Deduction & Tax Compliance
Federal and state taxes deducted & remitted on your behalf
- Better Business Budgeting
Spend your earnings without fear of missing payments
- Get Paid in Your Currency of Choice
USD, Bitcoin, Ether, DAI or a percentage split
- Portable Benefits
Health, life, disability, unemployment, retirement, and more stay the same as you switch between projects/companies over time
With more than 50% of the U.S. labor force expected to participate in freelance/gig work by 2025 and many experimenting with remote options during the current pandemic, it’s clear that the future of work needs a better benefits solution. Along with its membership, Opolis has started a biweekly podcast and YouTube series, Opolis Public Radio (OPR), which connects with industry leaders about tech innovation, social evolution, the future of work, freelancing, finances, the gig economy, blockchains and more.
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