Q: Do Trump-era FLSA regulations governing independent contractor classification and joint employer status (still) apply?

A: The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) announced its decision to reverse a Trump-era rule governing the employee/independent contractor distinction under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that was scheduled to go into effect on March 8. The decision comes on the heels of another recent announcement by the Biden administration that requested public comment about its intention to rescind the Trump-era regulations governing joint employment under the FLSA, which went into effect in March 2020. Both reversals have significant implications for whether a company is considered an employer under the FLSA and thus subject to minimum wage, overtime, and recordkeeping requirements under the statute.

Q.  What is the current standard for determining whether an individual is an employee or independent contractor for purposes of the NLRA?

A.   On Jan. 25, 2019, the Republican-led National Labor Relations Board affirmed the acting regional director’s decision that drivers of a shared airport ride service were independent contractors,