News & Analysis as of

Trump Administration Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Employee Definition

McAfee & Taft

Gavel to Gavel: It just got easier to classify workers as independent contractors

McAfee & Taft on

Surging changes to workplace laws understandably have employers suffering from whiplash. Historically, employment laws have shifted when presidential administrations have changed. A May 1 announcement by the U.S. Department...more

Poyner Spruill LLP

DOL Enforcement Guidance Underscores Favorable Shift for Contractor Classifications

Poyner Spruill LLP on

On May 1, 2025, the United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) published the first Field Assistance Bulletin of the year providing guidance to Wage and Hour Division (“WHD”) field staff regarding the proper analysis to apply...more

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP

DOL reinstates Trump’s standard on independent contractors under FLSA

In recent years, the U.S. Department of Labor has regulated who is an independent contractor and who is an employee for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The substance of the regulations has whipsawed based on who was...more

FordHarrison

U.S. Department of Labor Announces It Will No Longer Enforce 2024 Independent Contractor Rule

FordHarrison on

On May 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Field Assistance Bulletin confirming that it will no longer enforce a 2024 Biden-era independent contractor rule. The 2024 rule defined “independent contractor”...more

Proskauer - Law and the Workplace

White House “Regulatory Freeze” Directive Pauses Most Federal Rulemaking

As expected, the White House issued a directive to the heads of all executive departments and agencies within the first few hours after President Trump’s inauguration on January 20, requesting that they halt all non-emergency...more

BakerHostetler

Lawsuits Aim to Void DOL’s New Independent Contractor Test

BakerHostetler on

A few weeks ago, we brought you news that the Department of Labor (DOL) dropped a new independent contractor rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that arguably leans in favor of employees. And, as we predicted, the...more

Genova Burns LLC

USDOL Wage-Hour Division Final Rule on Independent Contractor Status Reverts to Pre-Trump Rule and Rejects “Core Factor” Test

Genova Burns LLC on

On January 9, 2024 the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released a final rule that will apply beginning March 11, 2024 in determining whether a worker can be classified as an independent contractor as opposed to an employee...more

Benesch

Department of Labor Finalizes Rule Change on Independent Contractor Classification

Benesch on

On January 9, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor released details of its final rule regarding the proper circumstances for independent contractor classification under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). On January 10,...more

BakerHostetler

The DOL’s New Independent Contractor Test Just Dropped; Now What?

BakerHostetler on

’Tis the season for things to drop. Some things that drop are big, some not so big. On New Year's Eve, we saw the ball drop in New York. Fun fact: The ball is a geodesic sphere, 12 feet in diameter, weighing 11,875...more

Holland & Knight LLP

New Rule on Independent Contractor Classification Will Have Profound Impact on Businesses

Holland & Knight LLP on

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced on Jan. 9, 2024, the issuance of its final rule regarding whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The new...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

The Haunting Return of the Economic Reality Test: U.S. Department of Labor Proposes Resurrecting the Pre-Trump Era...

On October 13, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) published its proposed rule regarding the classification of employees and independent contractors under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) in an attempt to resolve...more

Butler Snow LLP

Department of Labor Withdraws Prior Independent Contractor Rule: What You Need to Know

Butler Snow LLP on

Last month the Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued a Final Rule withdrawing the Trump Administration’s attempt to revise the DOL’s interpretation of independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”)....more

Perkins Coie

US Department of Labor Announces Final Rule Regarding Independent Contractors - Update

Perkins Coie on

The Department of Labor (DOL) announced in May 2021 that it was withdrawing the rule called “Independent Contractor Status Under the Fair Labor Standards Act.” As anticipated, the Biden administration rescinded this Trump-era...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Withdrawal of Trump-Era Independent Contractor Rule

On May 5, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced it is officially withdrawing, effective May 6, 2021, the rule promulgated under the Trump administration addressing the standard to determine whether an...more

Stoel Rives - World of Employment

U.S. Department of Labor Repeals Trump-Era Rule Favoring Independent Contractor Status, as Expected

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

McGuireWoods LLP

DOL Withdraws January 2021 Trump Administration Independent Contractor Test

McGuireWoods LLP on

On May 5, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) eliminated a Trump administration end-of-term rule for determining whether workers should be classified as independent contractors or employees under the Fair Labor Standards...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

Hurry Up and Wait: Department of Labor Delays Implementation of New Worker Classification Regulations

Businesses strive to draw the line correctly on who is an employee versus who is an independent contractor. New regulations issued by the Department of Labor (DOL) in early January promised to help. See, 29 CFR §§795.100. But...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Another Shift on Joint Employment and Independent Contractors

Holland & Knight LLP on

Four years ago, the question was raised of whether the then-incoming Trump Administration would reverse course on Obama Administration positions assailing the independent contractor model. Shortly thereafter, the U.S....more

Perkins Coie

New Administration Will Bring Big Changes to the Department of Labor

Perkins Coie on

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will see significant changes under a Biden administration. However, the nature and the degree of those changes will depend heavily on how Biden fills senior roles not only at DOL but also in...more

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

DOL Proposes Independent Contractor Rule Shielding Companies from Costly Federal Misclassification Claims

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC on

On September 22, 2020, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) unveiled a new, proposed rule for classifying workers as either independent contractors or employees. This is important because employees are covered by the federal...more

Troutman Pepper Locke

Two Federal Agencies Make It Easier to Establish Independent Contractor Status

Troutman Pepper Locke on

Recently, both the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued documents supporting independent contractor status, evidencing the more pro-employer stance of the Trump administration as...more

Littler

Trump Administration DOL Issues First Substantive Guidance on Independent Contractors

Littler on

The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) on Friday, July 13, 2018, titled “Determining Whether Nurse or Caregiver Registries Are Employers of the Caregiver.”...more

Epstein Becker & Green

The Ground Continues to Shift in Wage and Hour Law

Epstein Becker & Green on

A year ago, employers across the country prepared for the implementation of a new overtime rule that would dramatically increase the salary threshold for white-collar exemptions, on the understanding that the new rule would...more

Jaburg Wilk

Department of Labor Rolls Back the Liberal Interpretation of Who is and Who is Not an Employee

Jaburg Wilk on

Recently the hot topic in employment law is the widespread misclassification of employees as independent contractors. The courts and the Department of Labor (DOL) have steadily turned up the heat on employers who misclassify...more

Ruder Ware

Joint Employer Status Rebuffed?

Ruder Ware on

Recent action by the Trump Administration has raised a new question regarding joint employer status and whether particular employees hired (individually or through a company) to provide work for another company should be...more

30 Results
 / 
View per page
Page: of 2

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"

Your first step to building a free, personalized, morning email brief covering pertinent authors and topics on JD Supra:
*By using the service, you signify your acceptance of JD Supra's Privacy Policy.
- hide
- hide