> The real underlying problem is that we've been papering over our underemployment crisis with these low-skill, low wage jobs. You can't turn them into viable careers by legislative fiat.

It's worse. We have been papering over the lack of any social security net and lack of affordable healthcare by forcing these things onto an employer-employee relationship.

If you try to rethink the system from the ground up, there is no logical reason health insurance needs to be tied to employment. Employment law should be about removing highly coercive situations, but other than that, adults should be allowed to provide a service in return of a payment without getting embroiled in byzantine regulatory requirements.