Independent Contractor Rule: Comply Now or Pay the Price

Federal and state agencies are intent on aggressively investigating misclassification of employees as independent contractors. The “whole of government” approach is being used in this arena—DOL WHD, NLRB, EEOC, FTC, and more. On March 11, the Department of Labor’s final rule on independent contractors for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act took effect, restoring the DOL’s six-part economic realities test.

And while the federal government’s definition keeps changing, the result is a rule that leaves businesses confused about when they can classify a worker as a contractor. If you get it wrong, you could face stiff penalties, as evidenced by many high-ticket court rulings. Get those classifications right by attending this timely webinar led by two experts on the topic.

Do not be tempted to ignore these rules. If you do, your company will face inherent risks such as audits from the IRS, state tax agencies, DOL and other state agencies. You will also face legal exposure in areas such as employment taxes, lawsuits/class actions, overtime obligations, employment discrimination, criminal penalties (wage theft) and more.

And if you need more reasons to comply consider the fact that the Biden administration will continue to step up enforcement of Independent Contractor misclassification so long as he is in office.

Other Speakers:

Richard Brann, Baker Botts, LLP, Retired Partner

For more information, view the agenda.