On Nov. 22, 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law the “Freelance Isn’t Free Act” (the Act or FIFA), which was amended on March 1, 2024. The Act is codified in Article 44-A of the New York General Business Law. Article 44-A...more
New Yorkers utilizing freelance workers or independent contractors for work totaling $800 or more will soon need to comply with New York’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act (“FIFA”). The Act, which was signed into law by Governor...more
Originally effective in New York City from May 15, 2017, the New York Freelance Isn’t Free Act will now expand its protections to freelance workers across the entire state, effective August 28, 2024. This updated legislation...more
On June 12, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) issued a new Determination Pursuant to Section 1 (a)(ii) of Executive Order 14071 (the “Determination”) that prohibits U.S....more
Vetoed in 2022, subsequently signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul last year, and rolled out with a delay, New York State's Freelance Isn't Free Act (FIFA) finally goes into effect on August 28, 2024. The legislation is...more
LEGISLATION - This year brings significant legislative updates recently passed in New York that may impact your business operations. Three of these laws, and a recent Court of Appeals decision, introduce important changes...more
Despite previously vetoing the legislation, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Freelance Isn’t Free Act (the “Act”) into law on November 22, 2023. The Act is similar to New York City’s law bearing the same name, which has been...more
A recently signed state law will soon protect New York freelance and contract workers from wage theft and delayed payments – and require businesses to put certain terms in writing. Businesses across the state will need to...more
Although 2023 perhaps did not see the passage of any laws quite as impactful as 2022—which, as employers will recall, included New York State enacting its own pay transparency law (see here) and novel New York City Council...more
On November 22, 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York State signed into law the “Freelance Isn’t Free Act” (“Act”), which was modeled after a similar law passed in New York City in 2017. The state law becomes effective on...more
In the waning days of 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed the New York State Freelance Isn’t Free Act bill (S 8369B) that had been awaiting her action for over six months. In early June 2023, the New York legislature...more
The 2023 New York State Legislature recently concluded its legislative session (after being called back for two weeks to consider certain pieces of legislation). The session ended with a flurry of activity relevant to...more
New York’s Legislature concluded its legislative session with a flurry of activity, including the passage of four notable employment-related bills. In sum, these four bills (i) ban the use of non-compete agreements, (ii)...more
The New York State Assembly and Senate have overwhelmingly passed the Freelance Isn’t Free Act (A.6040). The legislation heads to Governor Kathy Hochul’s office for her to sign or veto. The State Senate passed S.5026 by a...more
The First Department of the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, in a matter of first impression, interpreted New York City’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act (FIFA) in the context of a motion to dismiss (Chen v. Romona Keveza...more
The First Department of the Supreme Court, Appellate Division (the “Appellate Division”) recently issued the first appellate decision interpreting New York City’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act (FIFA). Plaintiffs – a photography...more
It should come as no surprise that New York City is home to a large number of freelancers—approximately 400,000 according to the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs. In order to assist this growing population, the Mayor’s...more
California Legislative and Agency Update - Read about the latest California cities to increase hourly minimum wages, newly expanded transgender protections, criminal background check limitations and other changes in...more
Action Item: The Establishing Protections for Freelance Workers Act (the “Freelance Isn’t Free Act”) became effective on May 15, 2017. The Freelance Isn’t Free Act imposes specific requirements on companies located in New...more
Recently issued final rules impose additional restrictions including prohibitions on requiring independent contractors to waive certain rights. The Freelance Isn’t Free Act is a recent New York City law that went into...more
Earlier this year, we reported that New York City adopted The Establishing Protections for Freelance Workers Act, also known as the Freelance Isn’t Free Act, (the “Freelance Law”). As explained in our prior blog, under the...more
Hiring parties should review their current independent contractor agreements to ensure compliance with the adopted rules....more
On May 1, 2017, the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (the “DCA”) promulgated rules which purport to “clarify” the Freelance Isn’t Free Act (the “Act”). Those rules impose more extensive limitations on businesses...more
As we previously reported, in November 2016, NYC Mayor De Blasio signed into law the Freelance Isn’t Free Act, establishing protections for freelance workers, including the right to receive a written contract for work valued...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Regulatory rules issued in connection with New York City’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act seek to prohibit arbitration of claims under the Act and class action waivers in contracts covered by the law. U.S....more