Hillary Clinton is out to boost labor rights at companies like Uber, a move that may resonate with some voters but could alienate small-business owners.

The leading Democratic presidential contender on Monday took a thinly veiled swipe at Uber, which is facing scrutiny for classifying its drivers as independent contractors instead of employees – a practice Clinton called “wage theft” during a speech at the New School in New York City.

“This ‘on demand’ or so-called ‘gig' economy is creating exciting opportunities and unleashing innovation, but it’s also raising hard questions about workplace protections and what a good job will look like in the future,” Clinton said, vowing to "crack down on bosses misclassifying workers as contractors.”

Clinton called for businesses to expand many benefits, including "fair pay and fair scheduling, paid family leave and earned sick days,” but insisted that it could be done without causing prices to rise too steeply.

“We can do this in a way that doesn’t impose unfair burdens on businesses -- especially small businesses,” Clinton said of her proposals.

Independent contractors are not eligible for the same benefits or protections as full-time or even part-time employees, which means they often miss out on things like overtime pay or access to health or life insurance. Uber is facing lawsuits from former drivers who seek employee benefits including expense accounts to cover routine costs, like buying gas for the cars they drive for the company.

Uber has “hundreds of thousands of driver partners and millions of riders” but only “more than 3,000 worldwide employees,” a spokeswoman for the company tells U.S. News.

Clinton’s call for greater employee benefits may resonate with workers at sharing economy sites like Uber, Lyft or food delivery application Postmates. But adding benefits could have adverse effects, forcing businesses to raise prices, cut back services or trim jobs, says Joe Kennedy, a senior fellow at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation think tank.

“There is political pressure trying to makes sure the company doesn’t make too much,” Kennedy says. “All that risks the tremendous value the consumer gets.” Also at risk: public opinion. “Anything that crimps Uber too much would be opposed by younger voters,” Kennedy says.

The global sharing economy, much of which is based in the U.S., is currently worth approximately $15 billion and forecast to be valued at $335 billion by 2025, according to a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, which listed affordability and convenience as key lures for its growing base of consumers.

Other businesses -- including trucking, construction and cleaning services -- also rely on contractors, says David Rosenfeld, a union counsel at the law firm of Weinberg, Roger and Rosenfeld.

“When you use contractors you don’t have to pay taxes on them – you don’t have to provide workers compensation, you don’t have to worry about discrimination lawsuits, you don’t have to worry about union issues, and you don’t have to pay overtime,” he says. “The disincentive of using contractors is that you lose the right to tell them how to work, how to behave, how to dress. You lose control of your brand that you would have with employees.”

Not all companies may react negatively to Clinton's call for more worker benefits, however. Rosenfeld points out that her point of view could even re-energize the union vote among Democrats.