{"id":149104,"date":"2022-10-12T13:35:07","date_gmt":"2022-10-12T20:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=149104"},"modified":"2022-10-12T13:35:07","modified_gmt":"2022-10-12T20:35:07","slug":"labor-department-tightens-rules-on-gig-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=149104","title":{"rendered":"Labor Department Tightens Rules on Gig Economy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Washington, DC…The U.S. Department of Labor will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Oct. 13<\/a>\u00a0to help employers and workers determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor under the\u00a0Fair Labor Standards Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The proposed rule would provide guidance on classifying workers and seeks to combat employee misclassification. Misclassification is a serious issue that denies workers\u2019 rights and protections under federal labor standards, promotes wage theft, allows certain employers to gain an unfair advantage over law-abiding businesses, and hurts the economy at-large.<\/p>\n

The NPRM proposes a framework more consistent with longstanding judicial precedent on which employers have relied to classify workers as employees or independent contractors under the FLSA. The department believes the new rule would preserve essential worker rights and provide consistency for regulated entities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile independent contractors have an important role in our economy, we have seen in many cases that employers misclassify their employees as independent contractors, particularly among our nation\u2019s most vulnerable workers,\u201d said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. \u201cMisclassification deprives workers of their federal labor protections, including their right to be paid their full, legally earned wages. The Department of Labor remains committed to addressing the issue of misclassification.\u201d<\/p>\n

Specifically, the proposed rule would do the following:<\/p>\n