Wage and Hour, Independent Contractors, Good Faith

Supreme Court of California Rules Employers Can’t Claim Ignorance on State Wage Violations

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,... on 9/8/2025

On August 21, 2025, the Supreme Court of California ruled that employers must demonstrate that they took reasonable steps to comply with minimum wage laws to mount a good-faith defense against liquidated damages. The decision...more

Fourth Circuit Affirms Multi-Million Dollar Decision, Underscoring Risks in Worker Misclassification

Brooks Pierce on 8/6/2025

Many businesses rely on independent contractors to stay flexible, control costs, and meet fluctuating demand, but misclassifying those workers can carry massive financial consequences. On July 17, 2025, the Fourth Circuit...more

Rare Employer Victory in CA Misclassification Case

Perkins Coie on 5/9/2022

A unanimous three-judge panel reached a decision in the case of Bijon Hill v. Walmart. Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed that Walmart classified a freelance model, Bijon Hill, as an...more

Good Faith Dispute Over Employment Relationship Allows Walmart to Escape Waiting Time Penalties

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP on 5/3/2022

In a recent opinion in Hill v. Walmart Inc., the Ninth Circuit affirmed summary judgment in favor of Walmart on Hill’s claim for waiting time penalties under Labor Code section 203, finding there was a good-faith dispute...more

DOL Validates Independent Contractor Relationships in the On-Demand Marketplace

Proskauer - Law and the Workplace on 4/30/2019

In an opinion letter issued April 29, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division concluded that a “virtual marketplace company” (“VMC”) that connects service providers with consumers is not the employer of...more

California Employment Law Notes - July 2015

Proskauer - California Employment Law on 7/17/2015

Employee's Inability To Work For A Particular Supervisor Does Not Constitute A "Disability" - Higgins-Williams v. Sutter Med. Found., 237 Cal. App. 4th 78 (2015) - Michaelin Higgins-Williams worked as a clinical...more