It’s been a bumpy road for the federal rules on independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

In the courts, the test has always focused on the “economic reality” of the relationship between a worker and the entity that benefits from the services provided to determine whether the worker is an employee or

Effective October 1, 2022, an amendment to the District of Columbia’s Human Rights Act (“the Act”) will expand the universe of workers protected under the Act, as well as codify workplace harassment as an unlawful discriminatory practice.

First, the amendment expands the Act’s definition of a protected “employee” to now also include individuals “working or

UPDATE: Governor Hochul vetoed the bill on December 23, 2022.

In 2016, New York City enacted the Freelance Isn’t Free Act, a local law establishing protections for certain freelance workers providing services for entities located in the City. Earlier this month, the New York State Legislature approved a bill providing similar protections to freelance