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12
T H E P R I M E R U S P A R A D I G M
Employers Beware: New DOL Interpretation
Threatens to Require FLSA Coverage for
Traditional Independent Contractors
Much has been made of the United
States Department of Labor's ("DOL")
proposed rule, promulgated in response
to President Barack Obama's March
2014 Executive Order, that increases
the standard salary level required for
the Executive, Administrative and
Professional "EAP" or "white collar"
exemption under the Fair Labor
Standards Act ("FLSA") from $455 a
week ($23,660 for a full-year worker),
to $970 per week ($50,440 per year).
After all, it is estimated that over five
million, currently exempt, salaried
employees will be entitled to overtime
pay if the Rule becomes final. However,
the DOL's recent position
1
regarding its
interpretation of the FLSA's "Suffer or
Permit" employment definition has the
potential, if upheld, to include coverage
for as many or more individuals, who
may otherwise be deemed independent
contractors.
As of 2005, there was an estimated
10.3 million independent contractors
working in the U.S.
2
The DOL maintains
that many employees are misclassified
as independent contractors.
3
The DOL
contends that certain employers may be
intentionally misclassifying employees
to cut costs associated with workplace
protections such as minimum wage,
overtime compensation, unemployment
insurance and workers' compensation.
In addition, misclassification results in
lower tax revenues for the government
and creates an uneven playing field for
employers who properly classify their
workers.
On July 15, 2015, DOL Adminis-
trator David Weil issued his Admin-
istrator's Interpretation No. 2015-1
("Interpretation No. 2015-1"). The
DOL related that it continues to receive
numerous complaints from workers
alleging misclassification and continues
to bring successful enforcement actions
against employers who misclassify. It
has pursued a multi-pronged approach,
entering into memoranda of understand-
ing with many states and the Internal
Revenue Service, in an effort to share
information to combat misclassification.
Interpretation No. 2015-1 was issued
to provide "additional guidance" to
the regulated community in classifying
workers and to curtail misclassification.
4
The FLSA requires covered employ-
ers to pay time and a half to employees
who work over 40 hours in a given work
week.
5
Under the FLSA, "employee" is
defined, with certain exceptions, as "any
individual employed by an employer."
6
"Employer," in turn, is defined as
including "any person acting directly or
indirectly in the interest of an employee
in relation to an employee...."
7
Under
the FLSA, "'employ' includes to suffer
or permit to work."
8
The U.S. Supreme Court has noted
that the FLSA's "employ" definition is
broad and is derived from child labor
statutes.
9
In addition, the Court noted,
"'This Act contains its own definitions,
comprehensive enough to require
its application to many persons and
working relationships, which prior to
this Act, were not deemed to fall within
an employer-employee category.'"
10
As
North America ­ United States
Morgan A. Godfrey is an attorney with more than 25 years'
experience. He is a shareholder with O'Meara, Leer, Wagner & Kohl,
P.A., where he chairs the firm's employment and labor law section.
He is a frequent lecturer and author on a variety of employment
law topics, including background investigations, employee
misclassification, investigating complaints of discrimination, ADA
and FMLA updates, and retaliation claims. He is a member of
Primerus' Labor and Employment Executive Committee.
O'Meara, Leer, Wagner & Kohl, P.A.
7401 Metro Boulevard
Suite 600
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439-3034
Phone: 952.806.0403
Fax: 952.893.8303
magodfrey@olwklaw.com
olwklaw.com
Morgan A. Godfrey