With more than 800,000 Americans working as drivers via Uber and Lyft in a given year, the “gig economy” has clearly established a foothold in today’s economy. And although the concept may still seem novel, what if the massively flexible, on-demand nature of the gig economy could be expanded to the broader world of work?

BlueCrew is a company that seeks to do exactly that. The company offers a mobile app and technology platform to connect workers with jobs in various industries, including warehousing, logistics, delivery and hospitality.

A draw for workers is the flexibility and autonomy of choosing when and where to work — a key ingredient in why Uber and Lyft have been wildly successful in attracting workers — all with the convenience of using a mobile device.

But in a key difference with Uber and Lyft, BlueCrew engages its workers as W-2 employees, and not independent contractors. While the administrative burden may be higher, the choice of using W-2 employees is a key selling point to both employers and workers. Employers are freed from the risk of misclassification penalties; employees receive the benefits of employment such as overtime pay, sick pay, workers’ compensation coverage, and access to health insurance and other benefit plans.

BlueCrew describes its work offerings as “sustainable work,” presumably highlighting the fact that workers can access protections such as overtime pay and health insurance, and also that work offerings may provide a more reliable source of income (some assignments last a week or longer) than work offered through other gig economy platforms.

BlueCrew CEO Adam Roston describes the benefit to employers: “They get the best of both worlds: the control, speed and flexibility of a mobile-first, gig platform with the employee quality and compliance of a W-2 workforce.”

BlueCrew recently opened a new headquarters in Chicago to house 100 corporate employees, and has plans to expand to 30 markets this year, including Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Minneapolis and Phoenix. The company was founded in 2015 by Gino Rooney and received a $14 million investment from IAC, which now owns and operates the company.

IAC owns a portfolio of internet companies including Tinder and Match.com.

The Buzz

BlueCrew is a mobile app-based platform that allows employers to engage and schedule workers directly and in real time. BlueCrew engages workers as W-2 employees, and not independent contractors, in order to avoid the misclassification risks that may arise in other gig economy work platforms.