MBO Partners reviews the trends and developments in 2016 for the independent workforce and looks forward to what will happen in 2017. MBO looks at the 2016 election, marketplaces for independent workers, the number of surveys about the independent workforce. MBO also discusses trends in misclassification litigation:
Misclassification Heats up at a State Level
On a federal front, the Department of Labor has remained relatively quiet since their Administrator’s Interpretation memo issued in July of 2015. However, the Department has not let up on misclassification, as they continue to add state-by-state agreements to protect employee rights.
Looking Back
- The Department of Labor unveiled a new webpage containing links to legal information, charts, and resources about employee misclassification.
- High profile class action suits against companies including Uber, Amazon, and FedEx took center stage in the media, leaving legal uncertainty as to how companies in the sharing economy will structure into 2017 and beyond.
- As of 2016, 35 states have issued laws against employee misclassification.
Looking Ahead
President-elect Trump has yet to issue specific plans for the independent workforce, but has been vocal about reducing federal regulation by as much as 70%. This means major misclassification initiatives championed by President Obama will likely be rolled back, if not ceased entirely. While reduced state-level funding is anticipated, this doesn’t mean misclassification litigation is going away.
Read the full story at Look Back, Look Forward: The Independent Workforce Year in Review | MBO Partners
