NWLC Applauds Department of Labor Regulations Protecting Workers’ Rights
(Washington, D.C.) Today, the Department of Labor (DOL) released its final rule on the standard for distinguishing between employee and independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The rule revises the standard put into place by the Trump administration—a standard that gutted protections for many workers and contravened longstanding law.
The following is a statement from Julie Vogtman, Director of Job Quality:
“The Department of Labor’s final rule is critically important to restore fundamental workplace protections for people across the country. The rule will benefit many women and people of color, who are overrepresented in low-paid jobs where employers are more likely to misclassify employees as independent contractors who do not benefit from the same legal protections as employees. Misclassified workers are deprived of significant FLSA protections such as the minimum wage and overtime pay, along with those ensuring women are treated equally at work. By combating misclassification, DOL’s final rule is a critical step to protecting workers’ access to higher wages, equal pay and better working conditions, which will benefit the communities we serve.”