Host Tom Godar continues his discussion with partners Tyler Hibler and Tracy Wolf of Husch Blackwell as they discuss anticipated changes to joint employer standards by the National Labor Relations Board: Department of Labor Proposes New Rule to Distinguish Independent Contractors from Employees | Labor and Employment Law Insights. The discussion also takes us into the alphabet soup of the NLRB and DOL’s implementation and enforcement of these employee and union friendly rules. Further, the podcast addresses the possibility of joint investigations between government entities and divisions, which may significantly raise the stakes for employers attempting to interpret and comply with various joint employment standards. 

Fortunately, the podcast settles on some practical advice. It was recommended that organizations make it a priority to understand these new rules and guidelines when making business decisions involving potential joint employment scenarios. A company must be capable of responding to these shifting standards when assessing the risks associated with using workers other than those that they consider W-2 employees. Additionally, policies should be adopted that clearly identify the roles of various workers and take into account that the mere opportunity to provide discipline or control workplace conditions may impact the employee/non-employee analysis. Third, employers must invest in top-down training and orientation—including front line and second line supervisors and managers—to ensure such policies are followed. 

Given the complexity of the interaction between laws related to the National Labor Relations Act, wage and hour laws, tax laws, and various state laws, consultation with counsel as these new rules and guidelines emerge is essential. In this time of intense competition for workers, careful analysis and counsel has never been more important when it comes to joint employer considerations.