Law and the Workplace

Tag Archives: independent contractor

Yoga Instructors Can Be Independent Contractors, Says NY Court of Appeals

By Allan Bloom, Carolyn M. Dellatore and Guy Brenner on Posted in Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
Earlier this week, the New York State Court of Appeals in Yoga Vida NYC, Inc. v. Commissioner of Labor., No. 130 (N.Y. Oct. 25, 2016), issued a rare decision concerning an unemployment determination, reversing the Appellate Division and concluding that the employer yoga studio did not exercise sufficient control over certain of its instructors to create … Continue Reading

Mayor Signs Into Law NYC Bill Protecting Freelance Workers, Effective May 15, 2017

By Allan Bloom on Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
On November 16, 2016, NYC Mayor De Blasio signed into law the Freelance Isn’t Free Act, a local law (No. 1017-2015) establishing protections for freelance workers. The law, amending Title 10 of the N.Y.C. Administrative Code, establishes and enhances protections for freelance workers, including the right to receive a written contract, the right to be … Continue Reading

Oklahoma Partners With U.S. DOL to Investigate Worker Misclassification

By Carolyn M. Dellatore and Guy Brenner on Posted in Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
On September 13, 2016, Oklahoma became the 35th state to enter into a partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor (U.S. DOL) to share information and conduct joint investigations regarding independent contractor misclassification.  Oklahoma represents just the latest in a flurry of new participants in the U.S. DOL’s Misclassification Initiative, which was launched in 2010 … Continue Reading

North Carolina and Nebraska Join 32 Other States In Agreeing To Partner With U.S. DOL to Investigate Worker Misclassification

By Carolyn M. Dellatore and Guy Brenner on Posted in Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
Just last month we reported that Pennsylvania had entered into a memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) with the U.S. Department of Labor (“U.S. DOL”), agreeing to share information and conduct joint investigations regarding independent contractor misclassification.  Now two more states have joined the U.S. DOL in this effort. In the past week, North Carolina and Nebraska … Continue Reading

New Arizona Independent Contractor Law Now In Effect

By Carolyn M. Dellatore and Guy Brenner on Posted in Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
Arizona’s “Declaration of Independent Business Status” law went into effect earlier this month. The new law, which appears to be the first of its kind, aims to provide independent contractors and the businesses that engage them greater certainty with respect to their employment status. Under the new law, independent contractors may sign a Declaration of Independent … Continue Reading

Pennsylvania Department of Labor and U.S. DOL Agree to Work Together Against Misclassification

By Carolyn M. Dellatore and Guy Brenner on Posted in Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
The U.S. Department of Labor (“U.S. DOL”) and the  Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry recently signed a memorandum of understanding to share information and conduct joint investigations regarding independent contractor misclassification.  The agreement is part of the U.S. DOL’s Misclassification Initiative, the stated goal of which is to “combat employee misclassification and to ensure … Continue Reading

North Carolina Governor Signs Executive Order on Worker Misclassification

By Carolyn M. Dellatore and Guy Brenner on Posted in Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
On December 18, 2015, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed an executive order establishing an “Employee Classification Section” within the state’s Industrial Commission.  The Order, which took effect immediately, tasked this new Section with overseeing employee misclassification enforcement by receiving reports of employee misclassification and referring those reports to appropriate state agencies for further action.  … Continue Reading

Governor Cuomo Vetoes Bill Creating Independent Contractor Test For Newspaper Carriers

By Carolyn M. Dellatore and Guy Brenner on Posted in Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed several bills into law on Saturday, November 21, 2015.  However, one piece of legislation that did not make it past his desk was a measure that would have created a special test under which newspaper carriers could more easily be classified as independent contractors as opposed to employees for purposes of … Continue Reading

Vermont Department of Labor and U.S. DOL Agree to Work Together Against Misclassification

By Carolyn M. Dellatore and Guy Brenner on Posted in Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
Yesterday the U.S. Department of Labor (“U.S. DOL”) and the Vermont Department of Labor (“VDOL”) signed a three-year memorandum of understanding to share information and conduct joint investigations regarding independent contractor misclassification.  The agreement is part of the U.S. DOL’s Misclassification Initiative, the goal of which is to prevent, detect, and remedy employee misclassification.  Just … Continue Reading

Alaska Department of Labor and U.S. DOL Agree to Work Together Against Misclassification

By Carolyn M. Dellatore and Guy Brenner on Posted in Wage and Hour
The U.S. Department of Labor (“U.S. DOL”) and the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development recently signed a memorandum of understanding to share information and conduct joint investigations regarding independent contractor misclassification.  The agreement is part of the U.S. DOL’s Misclassification Initiative, the goal of which is to prevent, detect, and remedy employee misclassification.  Just last … Continue Reading

US Department of Labor Issues Administrator’s Interpretation Aimed At Limiting Independent Contractor Classification

By Carolyn M. Dellatore and Guy Brenner on Posted in Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
As forecast in our June 12, 2015 blog post David Weil, Administrator of the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has released Administrator’s Interpretation (AI) No. 2015-1, entitled “The Application of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s ‘Suffer or Permit’ Standard in the Identification of Employees Who Are Misclassified as Independent Contractors.”  The AI provides … Continue Reading

Rhode Island Establishes Tip Line For Worker Misclassification

By Carolyn M. Dellatore and Guy Brenner on Posted in Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
Man using smartphoneRhode Island’s Joint Task Force on the Underground Economy and Employee Misclassification announced earlier this month that it has set up an anonymous telephone tip line for reporting allegations of independent contractor misclassification.  The Task Force was established to reduce worker misclassification.  It consists of representatives from Rhode Island’s Department of Labor and Training (DLT), the … Continue Reading

New Hampshire Department of Labor and U.S. DOL Agree to Work Together Against Misclassification

By Carolyn M. Dellatore and Guy Brenner on Posted in Wage and Hour
The U.S. Department of Labor (“U.S. DOL”) and the New Hampshire Department of Labor recently signed a memorandum of understanding to share information regarding independent contractor misclassification.  The agreement is part of the U.S. DOL’s Misclassification Initiative, with the goal of preventing, detecting, and remedying employee misclassification.  Just last month Alabama’s Department of Labor entered into … Continue Reading

$10.2 Million Awarded by DOL to Detect Worker Misclassification

By Carolyn M. Dellatore and Guy Brenner on Posted in Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
Recently, the U.S. Department of Labor announced awards of $10,225,183 in grants to 19 states to implement or improve worker misclassification detection and enforcement initiatives in their unemployment insurance programs.   California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Wisconsin … Continue Reading

New N.Y. Restrictions on Independent Contractor Use

By Katharine Parker on Posted in Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour, Workplace Policies and Procedures
As of April 10, companies in the commercial goods transportation industry must comply with strict rules governing use of independent contractors.  The Commercial Goods Transportation Industry Fair Play Act creates a presumption that any person transporting commercial goods (e.g., truck drivers) are employees.  It also amends the unemployment and workers compensation insurance law to require … Continue Reading

New York State Takes Aim at Worker Misclassification: The Commercial Goods Transportation Industry Fair Play Act

By Allison Martin, Allan Weitzman, Fredric Leffler, Katharine Parker and Marc A. Mandelman on Posted in Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour, Workplace Policies and Procedures
  On Friday, January 10, 2014, Governor Cuomo signed into law the New York State Commercial Goods Transportation Industry Fair Play Act (the Act), which is effective on March 11, 2014. The Act amends the New York Labor Law to create a presumption that any person performing commercial goods transportation services for a commercial goods … Continue Reading

Connecticut IC Trucker

By Katharine Parker on Posted in Independent Contractor, Wage and Hour
On June 24, 2013, Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy signed into law the “Act Concerning Certain Motor Vehicles and Eligibility for Unemployment Benefits” after lawmakers unanimously approved the measure.  The law, which takes effect on October 1, will make it easier for independent truck operators in the state to be deemed independent contractors for purposes of … Continue Reading
LexBlog

This website uses third party cookies, over which we have no control. To deactivate the use of third party advertising cookies, you should alter the settings in your browser.

OK