The legislation would lead to increased costs and more regulatory burdens for small businesses.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 10, 2024) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, sent a letter of opposition to the U.S. Senate opposing S. 5208, the Warehouse Worker Protection Act. The legislation would lead to increased costs, onerous mandates, and more regulatory burdens for small businesses.
NFIB also joined a coalition of 44 trade associations in sending a letter to leaders of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions requesting the Committee reject the Warehouse Worker Protection Act.
“The Warehouse Worker Protection Act includes several provisions that will harm the small business economy by impeding efficient operations without improving workplace health and safety,” said Dylan Rosnick, NFIB Principal of Federal Government Relations. “Despite an attempt to minimize the impacts this legislation would have on small businesses, the bill still contains unworkable mandates that would be detrimental to small businesses and workers alike during a time of increasing economic uncertainty. We ask Congress to oppose this burdensome and unnecessary legislation.”
In June 2024, NFIB sent a letter of opposition to the Warehouse Worker Protection Act following its introduction in the U.S. House of Representatives due to several problematic provisions. Since the letter of opposition was sent, the Warehouse Worker Protection Act has been reintroduced in the U.S. Senate, with a few minor changes. One change is the inclusion of a limited exemption for small businesses who have less than 200 employees from certain provisions in the bill. Unfortunately, the small business exemption is limited and unsatisfactory, as the legislation would still have a negative impact on small businesses and the broader economy.
