#WorkforceWednesday: New AB5 Exemptions, EEOC COVID-19 Updates, Joint-Employer Rule Partially Struck Down - Employment Law This Week®
Episode 13: NYC's New Freelancer Protection Law And The Future Of The On-Demand Economy
For employers doing business in New York, the “Freelance Isn’t Free” Act (the “Act”) signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul in March of this year may have stirred up memories of the New York City ordinance enacted just a...more
The nation continues to move to less-traditional employment relationships. As a consequence, the importance and impact of freelance workers (i.e., “independent contractors” or those compensated on an IRS 1099 Form) should not...more
On November 22, 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Freelance Isn’t Free Act (the “State Act”), Senate Bill S5026. This new law (codified as a new Section 191-d of the New York Labor Law) will require written...more
Effective July 1, 2023, the Freelance Worker Protections Ordinance of the City of Los Angeles became effective, imposing new requirements on the use of independent contractors and freelance workers together with new penalties...more
California has gone to great lengths to limit independent contractor relationships and recently, the City of Los Angeles, created additional hurdles to the hiring and use of independent contractors or freelance workers. The...more
The nationwide growth of the “gig economy” has provoked the enactment of laws aimed at providing economic protection to freelance workers. In May 2023, the Columbus City Council joined this national trend by amending the...more
A new city ordinance in Los Angeles will take effect on July 1, 2023, which requires a written contract for many independent contractors and freelance workers who work in the city. This ordinance, known as the Freelance...more
The U.S. Department of Labor yesterday announced a Proposed Rule on the test to determine whether a worker should be classified as an employee or an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The DOL will...more
The First Department of the Supreme Court, Appellate Division (the “Appellate Division”) recently issued the first appellate decision interpreting New York City’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act (FIFA). Plaintiffs – a photography...more
Ob Crowdwork, Cloudwork, Clickwork oder Gigwork – die modernen Alternativen zur klassischen Festanstellung sind aus der modernen Arbeitswelt nicht mehr wegzudenken. Eine rechtssichere Vertragsgestaltung ist hierbei...more
California employers will be pleased to learn that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently held that a retail store reasonably believed that a freelance model who worked in irregular one- or two-day periods was not an...more
In what will have a significant impact on the employment status of “gig” economy workers under federal labor law, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) seems poised to revert to a more worker-friendly...more
Assembly Bill 5 regulates economic activity and not speech, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently held, affirming dismissal of a suit brought by freelance writers and photographers challenging the...more
The retroactive application of Dynamex may permit a Grubhub driver’s suit alleging he was misclassified as an independent contractor, according to a new decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit....more
Executive Summary: Effective October 1, 2021, Florida businesses will be required to submit new hire information for their independent contractors to the Florida Department of Revenue. This is a significant change for...more
Florida has imposed a substantial new reporting requirement on employers and businesses who utilize independent contractors. Businesses need to be prepared; the new requirement takes effect October 1, 2021....more
The long-running battle over the classification of workers as independent contractors or employees in California continues, with a trial court judge striking down Proposition 22 and an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to...more
This Legal Q&A two pager gives an overview of the potential problems of using contractors and freelancers in Germany, in particular the risk of misclassification. Incorrectly classifying an employee as a contractor can have...more
On July 8, 2021, N.J. Governor Phil Murphy signed a package of bills expanding the power of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) to enforce state wage, benefit and tax laws, and enhancing penalties for...more
The IRS maintains its own test for classifying independent contractors. Misclassification may result in expensive penalties to the employer. Independent contractor rules have been the source of a fair amount of media...more
On May 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor formally withdrew final regulations promulgated earlier this year under the prior administration which set forth, for the first time by way of an Administrative Procedure Act...more
On May 6, 2021, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) withdrew proposed rules set by the Trump Administration, which were originally intended to revise the test for classifying workers as independent contractors at the...more
On May 5, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced a final rule to withdraw a Trump-era independent contractor rule for determining how to classify workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The DOL stated that...more
On May 5, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor withdrew the pro-business Independent Contractor Final Rule published in the final days of President Trump’s administration. This withdrawal follows the Department of Labor’s...more
As expected, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has repealed the Trump-era rule regarding classification of independent contractors. As we discussed here, the Trump-era rule codified the “economic realities test” for use...more