U.S. Department of Labor withdraws Obama guidance on independent contractors, joint employment

The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that it has withdrawn informal guidance issued by the Obama Administration related to independent contractors and joint employment. The guidance on independent contractors was issued in 2015, and the guidance on joint employment was issued in 2016, both in the form of so-called “Administrator’s Interpretations,” which was a form of guidance the DOL adopted when it ended the longstanding practice of issuing Opinion Letters.
Here is the government’s news release from the DOL website:

U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta today announced the withdrawal of the U.S. Department of Labor’s 2015 and 2016 informal guidance on joint employment and independent contractors. Removal of the administrator interpretations does not change the legal responsibilities of employers under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act, as reflected in the department’s long-standing regulations and case law. The department will continue to fully and fairly enforce all laws within its jurisdiction, including the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act.

Constangy will be issuing a more comprehensive Client Bulletin shortly.