Who's an employee?

New guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor attempts to provide some clarity on just what makes an employee these days. The department says its new guidelines are not a change in policy, but a kind of litmus test for when you’re an independent contractor and when you’re an employee, entitled to things like overtime, benefits and workers comp. “If you can control the hours people work, what they’re supposed to wear, all those kinds of things come into play,” said Marick Masters, professor of management at Wayne State University School of Business and director of Labor@Wayne. Masters thinks the new guidelines tilt the playing field more in favor of workers who’ve filed suit, claiming they’re misclassified as independent contractors and should be full-fledged employees. This is a big issue in today’s on-demand economy. 
 
 
 
 

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