The New York State Court of Appeals and New York City recently provided additional guidance for – and imposed additional requirements on – New York employers that use independent contractors.

In In re Yoga Vida NYC, Inc. No. 130, 2016 N.Y. LEXIS 3216 (Oct. 25, 2016), the New York Court of Appeals further explained how workers may properly be classified as independent contractors, overturning a decision by the Unemployment Insurance Appeal Board and concluding that a group of yoga instructors were not employees. And on October 27, 2016, the New York City Council unanimously passed the “Freelance Isn’t Free Act,” which establishes and enhances protections for independent contractors in New York City.