#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
Governor Tim Walz has signed into law significant changes to Minnesota’s independent contractor and employment laws. Effective July 1, all employers, as well as their owners, risk significantly increased penalties for...more
There is a general trend in the country to narrow the scope of who can be an independent contractor and to provide such individuals more “rights” concerning their employment, or engagement. More States are passing laws...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
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
As expected, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has repealed the Trump-era rule regarding classification of independent contractors.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
Governor Jim Justice recently signed into law Senate Bill 272, the West Virginia Employment Law Workers Classification Act (the “Act”), which goes into effect on June 9, 2021. The legislation provides standards for...more
On January 14, 2021, the California Supreme Court held that the “ABC Test” for classifying workers as independent contractors applies retroactively. The high court first articulated this standard, which makes it tougher for...more
On January 14, 2021, the California Supreme Court held in Vazquez v. Jan-Pro Franchising Int'l, Inc. that the ABC test for determining worker classification fashioned in its groundbreaking decision, Dynamex v. Superior...more
Since April 2018, when the California Supreme Court issued its Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court, 4 Cal. 5th 903 (2018) decision, which radically changed the way in which courts differentiated between an...more
Welcome to #WorkforceWednesday! This week, worker classification and joint employment are in focus, as California amends AB5 and a federal judge rules on joint-employer liability. New AB5 Exemptions in CA (video attached) ...more
We have written frequently here about AB5, California’s controversial law that creates an “ABC” test that must be satisfied in order for a worker to be treated as an independent contractor. ...more
As we recently wrote here, Uber and Postmates (and two of their drivers) to file an eleventh-hour lawsuit seeking to enjoin the enforcement of California’s controversial new independent contractor law – known as AB 5 –...more
A federal court judge today denied a request by several gig economy giants (and a few contractors) to block AB-5, the new misclassification law in California that codifies the ABC test and makes it much more difficult to...more
As we have written here, the day before California’s controversial AB 5 was set to go into effect, U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez issued a temporary restraining order to block enforcement of the law as to...more
In addition to bolstering the provisions of its mini-WARN Act (see Part I), New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also recently signed into law expansive provisions aimed at deterring worker misclassification....more
Seeking to tighten worker misclassification enforcement in New Jersey, on January 20, 2020, Governor Phil Murphy signed into law a package of legislation to add misclassification penalties, allow stop-work orders against...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Governor Murphy signed 153 bills into law on January 20, 2020, including six (6) that increase enforcement mechanisms for state agencies to impose certain penalties against employers who misclassify workers...more
The battle over the scope and applicability of the so-called “ABC test” in determining California employers’ potential liability under wage and hour and other state labor laws continues unabated....more
Soon after being elected, New Jersey’s Governor created a task force to end misclassification of independent contractors, and the state’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL) began increasing audits and its...more
On Wednesday, January 15, 2020, the California Supreme Court agreed to review a second case raising questions as to the scope and retroactivity of its landmark 2018 Dynamex decision....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: A federal court has granted a preliminary injunction blocking the State of California from enforcing AB 5 against motor carriers. The court provided a fulsome analysis demonstrating that the Federal...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On the heels of last week’s federal court order temporarily blocking enforcement of AB 5 by the State of California, a California state court in Los Angeles reached the same conclusion, finding the Federal...more
Following the challenges to AB 5, California’s controversial new independent contractor law, can be a difficult endeavor. Every day seems to bring a new development....more
Independent Contractor Agreements Should be Reviewed - With Assembly Bill 5 taking effect Jan. 1, public agencies should not overlook potential joint employer liability claims, which may become more common under AB 5....more
On January 2, 2020, the Attorney General for the State of California released the title and summary of Initiative 19-0026—a proposed ballot measure that would overturn the state’s recently enacted independent contractor law,...more