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Independent Contractors Employment Litigation Employment Contract

Independent contractors are individuals or entities that perform work for other individuals or entities, but are not employees of those individuals or entities. Whether a worker is an employee or an independent... more +
Independent contractors are individuals or entities that perform work for other individuals or entities, but are not employees of those individuals or entities. Whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor is not always an easy determination. However, due to differences in tax and liability treatment, misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor can have serious consequences. Autonomy is the defining feature of independent contractor arrangements. Independent contractors control the manner and method of how work is performed while payers control the desired result. Control over schedule and number of hours worked, ownership of equipment or tools, permanency of relationship, and acceptance of jobs from multiple entities are all possible factors in determining whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor.   less -
ArentFox Schiff

No Trip, No Commission: Massachusetts Court Reinforces That a Commission Not Yet Due Is Not Payable – and Not Protected by the...

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A recent decision by the Massachusetts Superior Court in Ford v. Vacationeer, LLC, et al. confirmed that commissions are not due or payable as wages until they are definitely and arithmetically determinable, and commissions...more

McGlinchey Stafford

Florida CHOICE Act Expands Enforceability of Non-Compete and Garden Leave Agreements

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On July 1, 2025, Florida’s Contracts Honoring Opportunity, Investment, Confidentiality, and Economic Growth (CHOICE) Act took effect, ushering in substantial changes to the state’s non-compete law under Florida Statute §...more

Conn Kavanaugh

It’s Confirmed: Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act Excludes Non-Solicitation Agreements

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On June 13, 2025, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) issued a significant decision in Miele v. Foundation Medicine, Inc. (SJC-13697) confirming that the Massachusetts Noncompetition Agreement Act (the “MNAA”) does...more

Bennett Jones LLP

No Common Employer Means No Class Action—Ontario Court of Appeal

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The Ontario Court of Appeal has concluded that a client's influence over a service provider's processes does not establish an employment relationship between the client and the service provider's employees. The plaintiffs in...more

Bennett Jones LLP

Not So Dependable? BC Court Says Employers May Not Expect Dependent Contractors to Get Less Reasonable Notice than Employees

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In the recent decision of Ursic v Country Lumber Ltd., 2025 BCSC 970 (Country Lumber), the Supreme Court of British Columbia held that there is no presumption that dependent contractors ought to receive less reasonable notice...more

Fox Rothschild LLP

When Work Becomes a Family Affair

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At first, it sounds like a dream: hiring your cousin to help with marketing, bringing your sister on as a partner, or giving your son-in-law a “small stake” in the business. It feels easy, natural, and trust-based. But...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Wyoming Enacts Significant Restrictions on Noncompete Agreements

On March 19, 2025, Wyoming enacted a new law that considerably narrows the circumstances in which Wyoming employers can enter noncompete agreements. The law prohibits any covenant not to compete that restricts the right of...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Managing labour cost: Insights and lessons for the resource and other sectors for 2025

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Employers in the resources sector are watchful of legal developments in 2025 that could significantly impact their labour strategies, particularly their ability to engage, utilise and remove contractors. With non-labour costs...more

BCLP

HK Court Rules That Gig Delivery Driver Was Not an Employee

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With the continued prevalence of the “gig economy”, a common question that arises is whether “gig workers” are employees or independent contractors of the digital platform. ...more

Vedder Price

Federal District Court Says Class and Collective Action Waiver Survives Unenforceable Arbitration Agreement

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On February 12, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon issued an important decision in Porteous v. Flowers Foods, Inc. regarding the enforceability of class and collective action waivers contained in...more

Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP

Ohio Employers May See Non-Competes and Stay-or-Pay Provisions Prohibited with Senate Bill 11

Senator Louis Blessing, III, Republican, and William DeMora, Democrat have introduced Senate Bill 11 which seeks to ban employers from requiring their employees to adhere to non-competes and certain stay or pay provisions. ...more

Epstein Becker & Green

The Buckeye State to End Employer Noncompetes?: Ohio Introduces Bill That Would Ban Employers from Entering into Noncompetes

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Consistent with our previous reporting that states would continue to address noncompete issues even after the apparent end of the FTC Noncompete Rule, Ohio has joined the growing list of jurisdictions seeking to restrict the...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Trucking-Backed Suit May Be Arena for Dumping Biden Independent Contractor Rule

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Richard Reibstein, a partner with Troutman Pepper Locke, was quoted in the February 3, 2025 FreightWaves article, “Trucking-Backed Suit May Be Arena for Dumping Biden Independent Contractor Rule.”...more

Littler

Antitrust Employment Guidelines Issued by Biden Administration Days Before the Transfer of Power Are Now in Question

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On January 16, 2025, just days before transferring power to the new administration, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) issued updated Antitrust Guidelines for Business Activities Affecting...more

Barnea Jaffa Lande & Co.

Employment Law: Everything You Need to Know for the Beginning of 2025

Israel began 2025 with a series of labor law amendments and updates. Following are highlights of relevant amendments and innovations. ...more

Proskauer - California Employment Law

You Can’t Spell “Aggrieved Employees” Without an “I”: PAGA Claims Cannot be Headless

In yet another attempt to avoid arbitration agreements, plaintiffs’ lawyers in the wake of the blockbuster court decisions in Viking River Cruises, Inc. v. Moriana and Adolph v. Uber Technologies, Inc. began filing so-called...more

Conn Kavanaugh

When Employers Should Seek Employment Counsel: 7 Key Scenarios

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Navigating employment laws can be challenging for businesses in Massachusetts. From hiring to termination, understanding this complex legal landscape is crucial to avoid costly mistakes. This article highlights seven key...more

Fisher Phillips

Labor Department to Crack Down on These 7 Workplace Contract Provisions

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The Labor Department’s top lawyer announced on Tuesday that the agency would target seven specific employment-related contract provisions that she believes could discourage workers from exercising their rights under federal...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Employment Flash - June 2023

New York, Minnesota and NLRB Act To Limit Noncompetes - New York Legislature Passes Bill To Ban Post-Employment Noncompetes - On June 20, 2023, the New York state Legislature passed a bill that bans post-employment...more

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP

Not Interstate? You Must Arbitrate – Third Circuit Rules Uber Drivers Don’t Meet FAA Exception

Can you require your workers to arbitrate claims? What if they work in interstate commerce? Recently several courts have addressed the scope of the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) and when it applies to arbitration agreements...more

Miller & Martin PLLC

The Top 5 Most Common Wage and Hour Law Mistakes New Businesses Make

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Adding personnel is typically a good indicator of growth for a new or emerging business. However, despite good intentions or attempts to achieve greater efficiency, many new businesses make common mistakes like the ones...more

Littler

Savings Clause Results in Oregon Supreme Court Affirming Enforceability of Arbitration Provision

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On July 8, 2022, in Gist v. ZoAn Management, Inc., the Oregon Supreme Court affirmed the decisions of the trial court and court of appeals granting the defendants’ motion to compel arbitration.  The court concluded that...more

CDF Labor Law LLP

Unpublished California Opinion Did Not Authorize Arbitration Over Threshold Issue of Independent Contractor or Employee in a PAGA...

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A former driver for UberEats alleged that Uber misclassified drivers as independent contractors as part of a PAGA action.  Uber sought an order to compel arbitration of the question of whether the plaintiff was an independent...more

Jones Day

Contract Is King: High Court of Australia Provides Clarity on 'Employee vs Contractor' Test

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On 9 February 2022, the Australian High Court heard two appeals together—Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union & Anor v Personnel Contracting Pty Ltd [2022] HCA 1 ("Personnel") and ZG Operations Australia...more

Fisher Phillips

The Top 17 Workplace Law Stories from February 2022

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It’s hard to keep up with all the recent changes to labor and employment law. While the law always seems to evolve at a rapid pace, there have been an unprecedented number of changes for the past few years—and this past month...more

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