#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
On April 3, 2025, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (“DOL”) filed proposed new rules codifying its interpretation of the statutory ABC test to determine whether an individual is considered an...more
Last month, the most significant legal development in the area of independent contractor (IC) compliance and misclassification was on Capitol Hill. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, a Senate Republican who chairs the Senate Health,...more
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
It’s that time of year again—California employers need to prepare for a raft of new laws that become effective in the new year. Below is a brief overview of some of those laws and how employers should prepare for them. All...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
Thanks to powerful lobbying, last week the House of Representatives introduced a new bipartisan bill, the Worker Flexibility and Choice Act (the “Act”). This bill provides for a new classification of workers in between...more
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...more
During the final days of its most recent legislative session, the New York State Legislature passed a bill (S8369B) that would mandate contractual forms and terms for businesses that use “freelance workers.” Building on New...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
On May 5, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) confirmed it is withdrawing the rule promulgated under the Trump administration addressing how to determine whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor under the...more
The Protecting the Right to Organize Act, or PRO Act (H.R. 842, S. 420), would make extensive changes in US labor laws, including the PRO Act’s reformulation of “independent contractor” status. This is not a mere technical...more
The Department of Labor (DOL) has officially published its notice proposing to withdraw the new rule – issued two weeks before the change in Presidential Administrations – allowing employers to more easily classify workers as...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Businesses operating in California have had all of eight months to adapt since Assembly Bill 5, a landmark piece of legislation governing their relationships with independent contractors, took effect on...more
NLRB Issues Final Joint Employer Rule. On February 26, the NLRB published its final rule governing joint employer status under the National Labor Relations Act. ...more
I get it. My last name is Kim. My appearance, as those of you who haven’t met me can tell by my photo, confirms it. It’s obvious I’m Asian-American and particularly of Korean descent. So I get why everyone assumes I’ve seen...more
Proposed New York Legislation - In his 2020 budget proposal, Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed creating a 9-member marketplace worker classification task force to address seismic changes to the way independent contractors and...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
Seyfarth Synopsis: The New Jersey bill that aims to push gig-economy workers and other independent contractors into the definition of “employees” was briefly paused at the end of the prior legislative session, but is expected...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
On November 20, 2019, the Supreme Court of California announced it would review and decide whether its 2018 Dynamex decision has retroactive effect. The answer to this question could have a profound impact on any company...more
Recently, New Jersey took several steps to severely restrict the use of independent contractors or gig workers in the Garden state. The latest effort is Bill S4204, which creates a presumption of employment status for...more
As we reported just a few weeks ago, Congress has begun to gather information and consider the “future of work,” with considerable emphasis on the role of the gig economy. Although this emergency economy is growing rapidly,...more
The New Jersey Legislature appears poised to pass S67, the Portable Benefits Act for Independent Contractors, in the upcoming lame-duck session. If passed, the Governor is expected to sign the bill before the end of the year....more
Seyfarth Synopsis: California’s hotly contested and closely followed AB 5 independent contractor bill, which would extend the ABC test beyond Wage Order claims, just passed the California Senate, and now heads back to the...more