California Professional Sports Cheerleaders Are Now Classified As Employees

Cheerleaders for professional sports teams have been entertaining fans for decades. Most professional cheerleaders have been classified as independent contractors, leaving them with little to no employee rights under federal and state laws. On July 15, 2015, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a new bill, Assembly Bill 202, requiring California professional sports teams to classify their cheerleaders as employees. California is the first state in the nation to pass legislation providing employment protection to professional cheerleaders.