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DOL Proposes New Rule Regarding Independent Contractor Status - But How Will the Election Affect Its Future?

Client Alert
September 24, 2020

On September 22, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor announced a new proposed rule regarding employee and independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The full text of the proposed rule is available here. The rule's drafters intend to reduce uncertainty and enhance the precision and predictability of the long-standing "economic reality" test, which currently relies on a multifactor balancing test. The proposed rule contains the following developments:

  • It sets forth a new approach to the economic reality test, which considers whether a worker is in business for themselves or is economically dependent on the putative employer by looking at five distinct factors.     
  • Two core factors would be given greater weight in determining whether or not the worker is economically dependent: the nature and degree of the worker's control over the work, and the worker’s opportunity for profit or loss based on initiative and/or investment.
  • Three other factors may also contribute to the analysis, including the amount of skill required for the work, the degree of permanence of the working relationship, and whether the work is part of an integrated unit of production.
  • The proposed rule emphasizes that actual practices are more relevant to the analysis than what is theoretically possible in determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor.

This proposed rule would supplant the various approaches to the economic reality test that have evolved in federal courts, the DOL's subregulatory guidance, and industry-specific regulations. It's worth noting that the outcome of the November election could affect the future of this proposed rule. The rule is generally perceived as more business-friendly, and the Trump administration is seeking to fast track this rule for finalization before January 20, 2021. But if it is unable to do so, and Biden defeats Trump, the proposed rule would likely be in jeopardy. Or if Democrats flip the Senate the rule could potentially be undone by Congressional action.

The comment period has not yet begun, but the public will have 30 days to comment on the proposed regulation once it has been published in the Federal Register. The Employment and Labor team at Brennan Manna Diamond is available to assist if you would like to submit a comment regarding this proposed rule.

For more information, please contact Russell Rendall at 216.658.2205 or rtrendall@bmdllc.com. 

DOLU.S. Department of Laboremployee and independent contractor statusFair Labor Standards Acteconomic reality testemployeesIndependent ContractoremployersTrump administrationBiden2020 electioncongressional actionRussell T. Rendallemployment lawproposed rule
Client Alert

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November 20, 2023On October 26, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued its final rule on determining joint-employer status, departing from its prior 2020 standard. The final rule provides that two or more entities may be considered “joint employers” if each entity has an employment relationship with employees and if the entities share or codetermine one or more employees’ essential terms and conditions of employment. The final rule goes into effect on December 26, 2023, and will only be applied to cases filed after the effective date.Client Alert, Multimedia

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November 8, 2023Client Alert

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November 8, 2023Proposed changes to the No Surprises Act’s independent dispute resolution (IDR) process were recently issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, Department of Treasury, and the Office of Personnel Management. The October 27, 2023, proposed rule overhauls the current Federal IDR process in an effort to create efficiencies and reduce delays relating to eligibility determinations and address feedback from interested parties and certified IDR entities.Client Alert

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November 8, 2023Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) recently released a draft rule that will transform how inpatient behavioral health services are reimbursed for some hospitals. ODM will migrate inpatient payments for behavioral health and substance use disorder services (BH/SUD) provided by freestanding psychiatric hospitals (FSPs) from the APR-DRG payment methodology to a per diem payment methodology derived from the APR-DRG system.
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