South Carolina: Buyers can be held liable for injuries suffered by contingents
The South Carolina Supreme Court upheld a landmark ruling that increases staffing buyers’ tort liability risk for injured contract workers.
Court: AB 5 not a first amendment issue
Freelance journalists and photographers claimed AB 5 violates their free speech. The 9th Circuit rejected that, saying the legislation falls within the traditional sphere of state regulation.
Company to pay $42 million in independent contractor misclassification case
A Pennsylvania company will pay $42.3 million in back wages and liquidated damages to 700 workers after misclassifying them as independent contractors, the US Department of Labor announced.
AB 5 roundup: SCOTUS declines truckers’ case; state extends exemptions
The US Supreme Court declines truckers’ AB 5 case; California legislature extends AB 5 exemptions for certain job types.
Judge: Arbitration agreements not a shield from federal action
Arbitration agreements between employers and workers do not preclude the US DOL from taking action on behalf of those workers, a federal judge ruled, allowing an independent contractor misclassification case to proceed.
California employers face criminal liability for intentional unpaid wages
A California law that makes intentional “wage theft” by employers a felony in the state of California applies to companies’ independent contractors as well as direct hires.
Independent contractors: Florida businesses to report their data; pro-Grubhub ruling to be reconsidered
Certain Florida businesses to submit new hire information for ICs and a federal judge must reconsider her ruling that Grubhub Inc. was correct to treat a delivery driver as an independent contractor.
Misclassification roundup: $7.3 million lawsuit settlement; $235,000-plus DOL recovery
A medical technology firm settled a misclassification suit for $7.3 million and agreed to reclassify sales associates as employees; the DOL recovered more than $235,000 for 131 home health aides misclassified as independent contractors.
NLRB general counsel’s memo provides roadmap for different direction
NLRB’s new general counsel issued a memo plotting a revised ‘roadmap.’ It signals a rapidly changing ideology and significant changes to labor law precedent in cases involving employee status, handbook policies and more.
Opponents of Massachusetts IC ballot initiative ask AG to rule proposal unconstitutional
Opponents of a ballot initiative similar to California’s Proposition 22 asked the Massachusetts attorney general to declare the proposal unconstitutional.
