Earlier this month, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed into law a bipartisan plan to guarantee family and medical leave to workers in the state. Importantly, this plan includes a provision that allows self-employed workers to buy into the system. As our national conversation on family and medical leave heats up, policymakers should learn from state experiences and ensure that these programs include independent workers.

In a world where workers are receiving less training, and where the next wave of automation threatens massive job disruptions, the need to help workers access lifelong learning opportunities is critical. Options like Lifelong Learning Accounts could help workers better manage their economic future by incentivizing workers, businesses, and government to co-invest in the development of worker skills over the course of their careers.

Sen. Warner introduced legislation on portable benefits that builds off of a Future of Work Initiative proposal.

The California Legislature and the Governor struck a deal to reform its EITC to include self-employment income, expanding the credit to approximately 130,000 independent workers.

The Future of Work Initiative occasionally features guest blog posts from experts, policymakers and business leaders in order to prompt deeper discussions about how to restore the promise of work in the context of a rapidly changing economy. This guest blog was written by Stanley S. Litow, who leads corporate citizenship and corporate affairs for IBM.

Sen. Warner introduced legislation on portable benefits that builds off of a Future of Work Initiative proposal.

Executive Director Alastair Fitzpayne speaks on Capitol Hill about the future of the U.S. workforce.

In order to help policymakers understand changes in our economy, we must find innovative solutions to collect and analyze data.

To keep pace with technological advances and establish a culture that values workers, companies must provide high quality training programs.