#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
The most significant development last month in the law of independent contractors was not one of the four cases we summarize below but rather a bill passed by the New York Senate. ...more
Lawmakers in the city and state of New York were busy in 2024 enacting various labor- and employment-related legislation that is already impacting the workplace....more
On August 28, 2024, New York State’s Freelance Isn’t Free Law (“FIFL”) took effect, extending protections to freelance workers statewide. This sweeping law is codified in a new Article 44-A to New York State’s General...more
Effective August 28, 2024, companies that engage independent contractors in the state of New York must now comply with New York’s “Freelance Isn’t Free” Act (the Act), a statute that imposes a range of new requirements...more
On Nov. 22, 2023, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law the “Freelance Isn’t Free Act” (the Act or FIFA), which was amended on March 1, 2024. The Act is codified in Article 44-A of the New York General Business Law. Article 44-A...more
New Yorkers utilizing freelance workers or independent contractors for work totaling $800 or more will soon need to comply with New York’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act (“FIFA”). The Act, which was signed into law by Governor...more
Originally effective in New York City from May 15, 2017, the New York Freelance Isn’t Free Act will now expand its protections to freelance workers across the entire state, effective August 28, 2024. This updated legislation...more
New York’s Freelance Isn’t Free Act, which requires that a business provide any freelance worker with a written contract if the freelance work is worth at least $800, inclusive of multiple projects over a 120-days period,...more
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
Q: Is New York City considering a total ban on noncompete agreements? A: Yes — a total ban on noncompete agreements would be the result of one of the three noncompete bills currently pending in the New York City Council,...more
On November 22, 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the “Freelance Isn’t Free Act” into law. The Act, which is similar to the New York City law containing the same name, is designed to provide protections for freelance workers...more
Despite previously vetoing the legislation, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Freelance Isn’t Free Act (the “Act”) into law on November 22, 2023. The Act is similar to New York City’s law bearing the same name, which has been...more
Over the closing months of 2023, New York lawmakers at both the state and local levels were busy passing new legislation impacting the workplace. As a result, New York employers should take some time to familiarize themselves...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
Continuing a years’ long trend of extensive alterations to workplace laws, New York State and New York City continued to enact new workplace legislation impacting employers. A substantial number of enacted bills in the past...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
Ringing in the new year means a host of new employment laws that are now effective and on the horizon for New York employers. With the state very busy at year-end, employers should take note of new laws impacting the...more
Although 2023 perhaps did not see the passage of any laws quite as impactful as 2022—which, as employers will recall, included New York State enacting its own pay transparency law (see here) and novel New York City Council...more
On November 21, 2023, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill S5026 into law, enacting the “Freelance Isn’t Free Act” (“the Act”). The Act provides that freelance workers or solo independent contractors (referred to...more
Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed into law the “Freelance Isn’t Free” Act (the Act), which aims to provide freelance workers certain protections across the state. New York employers who use freelancers or independent...more
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed bills enacting the Freelance Isn’t Free Act, extending the statute of limitations to file a lawsuit alleging unlawful discriminatory practices, and barring the inclusion of liquidated...more
In the waning days of 2022, New York Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed the New York State Freelance Isn’t Free Act bill (S 8369B) that had been awaiting her action for over six months. In early June 2023, the New York legislature...more
The 2023 New York State Legislature recently concluded its legislative session (after being called back for two weeks to consider certain pieces of legislation). The session ended with a flurry of activity relevant to...more
New York’s Legislature concluded its legislative session with a flurry of activity, including the passage of four notable employment-related bills. In sum, these four bills (i) ban the use of non-compete agreements, (ii)...more
The New York State Assembly and Senate have overwhelmingly passed the Freelance Isn’t Free Act (A.6040). The legislation heads to Governor Kathy Hochul’s office for her to sign or veto. The State Senate passed S.5026 by a...more