In another twist to the joint employer saga, a United States District Court in New York voided the Department of Labor’s (“DOL”) new rule for joint employment. Eighteen (18) states and the District of Columbia brought a...more
"Joint Employer" Status in the Wage and Hour Context - A New York federal court has struck down a Final Rule from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) that set out a four-factor test to determine “joint employer” status,...more
The Situation: Seventeen states and the District of Columbia filed suit in the Southern District of New York seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against the U.S. Department of Labor's ("DOL") new joint employer...more
Q: What does the latest decision on joint employer liability mean for businesses? A: On September 8, 2020, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a decision overturning the U.S....more
On September 8, 2020, Federal District Court Judge Gregory Woods struck down critical parts of the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) new joint employer rule, which took effect in March of this year and which was intended to...more
Where is Everybody? Perhaps due to the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, it’s been a relatively quiet week in the labor and employment arena in Washington, D.C. President Trump and U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene...more
The U.S. Department of Labor just became the latest federal agency to propose a rule to limit the scope of joint employment liability, this time for wage and hour matters. If the rule released earlier yesterday is adopted in...more
On April 1, 2019, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced that it will publish a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to amend its existing regulations regarding joint employment under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)....more
Presidential administration transitions almost always result in policy and enforcement initiative changes at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This year appears to be no different, but it is not yet clear how some recent...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced that the Obama-era administrative interpretations regarding joint employment and the classification of a worker as an independent contractor or employee has been...more
Recently the hot topic in employment law is the widespread misclassification of employees as independent contractors. The courts and the Department of Labor (DOL) have steadily turned up the heat on employers who misclassify...more
A joint employer relationship can arise in circumstances where an individual performs work for two entities that share control over how that individual performs his/her work. Although joint employment relationships are most...more
Recent action by the Trump Administration has raised a new question regarding joint employer status and whether particular employees hired (individually or through a company) to provide work for another company should be...more
Last week, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) withdrew two Wage and Hour Administrator’s Interpretations, one on classification of workers as independent contractors and the other on joint employment. The...more
The unwinding continues. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced the withdrawal of the Obama administration’s previously issued informal guidance on independent contractors and joint employers....more
On Wednesday, June 7th, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) withdrew two highly provocative interpretive guidance letters issued under President Obama’s administration. The two letters, issued by the Wage & Hour Division (WHD)...more
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION - Rules of Procedure Governing Cases Before the Office of Hearings and Appeals - The U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) has amended the rules of practice of its Office of Hearings...more
The recent announcement by Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta to rescind Administrator’s Interpretation Nos. 2015-1 and 2016-1 should allow employers more latitude to hire independent contractors by removing the restrictive...more
Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Labor dropped a bit of a bombshell when it announced the immediate withdrawal of two informal guidance letters issued back when President Obama governed the executive branch. The 2015...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has withdrawn its 2015 and 2016 controversial informal guidance on joint employment and independent contractors. Those two guidance letters, issued during the Obama administration, greatly...more
In a positive development for employers, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) announced on Wednesday, June 7, 2017, that it is withdrawing two Interpretations issued during the Obama Administration....more
U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta announced on June 7, 2017, the immediate withdrawal of two Wage and Hour Division Administrator’s Interpretations (“AIs”) on joint employment and independent contractor status issued...more
The Obama DOL had issued two so-called “white papers” one on independent contractor status (Administrator Interpretation No 2015-1).and the other on joint employer status (Administrator Interpretation No. 2016-1). These...more
On June 7, 2017, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced that it was withdrawing its 2015 and 2016 Administrative Interpretations regarding independent contractors and joint employment. Both interpretations were designed...more
The U.S. Department of Labor has indicated that the department will move in a new, more employer-friendly direction, leaving many businesses feeling hopeful. On June 7, 2017, the United States Department of Labor issued a...more