Law and the Workplace

Category Archives: Biden Administration Coverage

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Trump-Era Independent Contractor Rule Never to See Light of Day

By Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Wage and Hour
Remember the Trump administration’s new rule for classifying workers as independent contractors?  The one issued on January 6, 2021, only weeks before President Biden took office?  The one that would have revised the U.S. Department of Labor’s test for determining worker status under the Fair Labor Standards Act to focus on two “core factors” (control … Continue Reading

DOL and Liquidated Damages: The Breakup Only Lasted 9 Months

By Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Wage and Hour
On April 9, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) rescinded the Trump-era enforcement practice of abstaining from seeking liquidated damages in connection with pre-litigation investigations and settlements of wage and hour claims.  In Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2021-2, issued by the Wage and Hour Division’s Principal Deputy Administrator, Jessica Looman, the agency announced that … Continue Reading

Business Groups Challenge Biden Administration’s Delay of Trump-era Independent Contractor Rule

By Allan Bloom and Eric Novak on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
In a complaint filed on March 26, 2021, business groups challenged a U.S. Department of Labor March 4, 2021 final rule to delay the effective date of the Trump-era regulation on independent contractor classification.  As we previously reported, that Trump-era rule, which was finalized two weeks before President Biden took office, was initially scheduled to … Continue Reading

OSHA Launches New Workplace Safety Initiative and Updated Enforcement Guidance Regarding COVID-19

By Harris Mufson, Lexie Reynolds and Julia Hollreiser on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
As we previously reported, on January 21, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order aimed at increasing COVID-19 workplace safety measures at the federal level. In response to President Biden’s directive, OSHA announced on March 12, 2021 the launch of a national emphasis program (“NEP”) to focus its enforcement efforts on employers that put the … Continue Reading

Biden Administration Wage and Hour Update:  50 Days In…

By Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
We’re 50 days into the Biden administration.  Here’s an update on where things stand with respect to wage and hour law at the federal level: On March 11, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD)—as expected—announced its proposals to rescind the Trump-era rules on independent contractor classification and joint employment. WHD’s … Continue Reading

[Podcast]: What Can Employers Expect from the Biden Administration?

By Harris Mufson, Evandro Gigante and Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, The Proskauer Brief Podcast
In this episode of The Proskauer Brief, partners Harris Mufson, Evandro Gigante, and Allan Bloom discuss key potential employment law changes under the Biden Administration.  Tune in as we explore an evolving legal landscape – from new health and safety requirements to wage and hour regulations and expanded anti-discrimination laws. Listen to the podcast.  … Continue Reading

DOL Takes First Step to Revisit Independent Contractor and Tip Rules

By Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Wage and Hour
In accordance with the Biden administration’s January 20 regulatory freeze memorandum, the U.S Department of Labor issued proposals to delay the effective dates of the Final Rules on independent contractor classification and tip regulations by 60 days, to allow the agency “the opportunity to review and consider the questions of law, policy, and fact raised … Continue Reading

OSHA Issues New Workplace Safety Guidance Regarding COVID-19

By Harris Mufson, Lexie Reynolds and Heylee Bernstein on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
As we previously reported, last week President Biden directed the Secretary of Labor to issue revised guidance to employers on workplace safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to that directive, OSHA issued what the DOL described as “stronger” worker safety guidance to advise employers during the COVID-19 pandemic. OSHA’s newest guidance, titled “Protecting Workers: … Continue Reading

DOL Ends PAID Program

By Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Wage and Hour
On January 29, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that it was discontinuing the Payroll Audit Independent Determination (“PAID”) program, effective immediately.  Under the program, which began in 2018, employers could self-report wage and hour violations to the DOL with the promise that the agency would supervise a settlement of the violations without seeking liquidated … Continue Reading

Biden Continues to Address Administration’s Top Labor Positions, Plans to Nominate Julie Su as Deputy Labor Secretary

By Allan Bloom and Heylee Bernstein on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage
***UPDATE: According to a Bloomberg Law Report, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for Julie Su on March 16, 2021. We will continue to monitor updates to Su’s nomination as the Deputy Labor Secretary.*** According to a Bloomberg Law report, President Biden plans to nominate Julie Su as … Continue Reading

DOL Begins Withdrawal of Trump-Era Opinion Letters

By Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
As expected, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) announced the withdrawal of three opinion letters issued in the waning days of the Trump administration.  The opinion letters being withdrawn are: FLSA2021-4, which addressed whether a restaurant may institute a tip pool under the Fair Labor Standards Act that includes both servers, … Continue Reading

Biden Directs OSHA To Issue New Workplace Safety Guidance Regarding COVID-19

By Harris Mufson and Lexie Reynolds on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, Coronavirus, Workplace Safety
Quick Hit On January 21, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order aimed at increasing COVID-19 workplace safety measures at the federal level.  As a result, employers should expect new OSHA guidance within the next two weeks and new emergency temporary standards by mid-March. Key Takeaways President Biden’s Executive Order on Protecting Worker Health and … Continue Reading

Biden DOL Tosses Trump-Era “PRO Good Guidance Rule”

By Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Wage and Hour
As expected, one of the first orders of business from the U.S. Department of Labor under the Biden administration was to scrap the 2020 “PRO Good Guidance Rule,” which imposed heightened burdens on the agency in connection with issuing guidance. The rule, issued last August in response to Trump’s Executive Order 13891—which directed federal agencies … Continue Reading

White House “Regulatory Freeze” Memo Dooms DOL Independent Contractor Rule

By Allan Bloom on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage, FLSA, Wage and Hour
As expected, the White House issued a memorandum to the heads of all executive departments and agencies within the first few hours after President Biden’s inauguration on January 20, requesting that they halt all non-emergency rulemaking and regulatory activity pending review by the new administration. The memo asks the executive agencies, which include the U.S. … Continue Reading

President-Elect Biden Nominates Marty Walsh for Secretary of Labor

By Allan Bloom and Thomas B. Fiascone on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage
On January 7, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden announced Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as his nominee for Secretary of Labor. If confirmed, Mayor Walsh would represent a stark contrast to incumbent Labor Secretary, longtime management attorney Eugene Scalia. Walsh served as the president of Laborers’ Union Local 223 prior to being elected Mayor. AFL-CIO President Richard … Continue Reading

Significant Workplace Changes in Store Under the Biden Administration

By Allan Bloom, Tony Oncidi, Dominique Kilmartin, Elizabeth Dailey, Joshua Fox, Steven Porzio and Tony S. Martinez on Posted in Biden Administration Coverage
From pay equity to an increased minimum wage, pro-worker and pro-union labor policies, and additional anti-discrimination protections, President-elect Biden has touted support for numerous legislative and regulatory proposals that would significantly change the employment and labor law landscape.  Bolstered by Democrat victories in the Georgia Senate runoff elections (and the resulting unified Congress, the first … Continue Reading
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