Newspaper Carriers are Employees, Not Independent Contractors, Mass Appeals Court Holds
The Massachusetts Appeals Court has deemed newspaper delivery drivers of a Braintree distributor to be employees, not independent contractors, under state law.
Trump’s Labor Department Rescinds Guidance Letters on Employee Misclassification and Joint Employment
In a Trump administration that typically acts with great fanfare, Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta quietly announced the immediate withdrawal of two administrative guidance letters issued during the Obama administration. The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) issued a three-sentence news release on Wednesday, reporting that Secretary Acosta had withdrawn the
Update: 1st Circuit Denies FedEx Drivers’ Petition to Reconsider Decision that FAAAA Preempts the Massachusetts Independent Contractor Statute
Last month, Alexis P. Theriault wrote about the First Circuit’s decision in Schwann v. FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. In Schwann, the First Circuit held that the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act (“FAAAA”) preempts a portion of the Massachusetts independent contractor statute, thereby making it easier for delivery services – like FedEx – to
A Chink in the Armor of the Massachusetts Independent Contractor Law
Massachusetts has one of the most employee-friendly independent contractor laws in the country, creating a heavy presumption of employee status. For a refresher on the law and whether a worker should be classified as an employee or an independent contractor, you should refer to Johanna Matloff’s and Adam Santeusanio’s detailed discussion of the Massachusetts Independent
Classifying Individuals as Independent Contractors or Employees
Introduction Most employers will, at some point, have occasion to consider whether an individual who performs services for the employer is an “independent contractor” or an “employee.” How an employer classifies an individual is crucial to the employer’s compliance with wage and hour laws, discrimination statutes, workers’ compensation requirements, mandatory affirmative action programs, and a