DOL casts wider net for misclassified independent contractors

The DOL is continuing in its initiative to address misclassification and make sure there are more employees and less independent contractors in the future. The Wage and Hour Division of the DOL issued Administrator’s Interpretation 2015-1: The Application of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s “Suffer or Permit” Standard in the Identification of Employees Who Are […]

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Get your story straight—employer’s change in explanation can be evidence of pretext

Yet again, an employer is burned by asserting inconsistent reasons for the termination of an employee.  In a recent case, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals found that an employee had presented sufficient evidence of an unlawful termination based on his use of FMLA leave where the employer offered differing stories as to the reason […]

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Big changes in overtime proposed

Earlier this week, the Department of Labor announced a proposed rule that will greatly expand overtime protections. One of the significant changes is that the white collar exemptions will no longer be applicable to a large group of salaried employees–those making less than $50,440 on an annual basis.

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WATCH OUT – Virginia tightens policy on contractor licenses as of July 1, 2015

Be careful of your contractor licenses and worker classifications in Virginia. Under a new policy effective July 1, 2015, where VOSH has reasonable cause to believe workers are being misclassified on a Virginia construction project (usually as independent contractors), VOSH may require each contractor to provide proof of its own DPOR license and the DPOR […]

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New statute has power to nullify lien waivers in Virginia

Effective July 1, 2015, any provision of a construction contract or lien waiver that “waives or diminishes” the payment bond or mechanic’s lien rights of a subcontractor, lower-tier subcontractor or material supplier before services are rendered is “null and void” in Virginia.  The new language in Va. Code § 11-4.1:1 and Va. Code § 43-3 […]

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Uber driver found to be employee and not independent contractor

A big issue facing Uber and other similar on-demand car service companies is whether their drivers are independent contractors or employees. This classification issue is tricky for employers of all types and sizes — as the lines aren’t always clear and the implications significant. Earlier this week, the California Labor Commissioner ruled against Uber, finding […]

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Transgender former police officer states a claim under Title VII-but fails to show sufficient evidence of discrimination

Last week, the district court ruled that although discrimination based on transgender status was a cognizable claim under Title VII, the plaintiff had failed to demonstrate that the rejection of her application to be part of a volunteer mounted patrol was discriminatory. Finkle v. Howard County, Maryland, Case No. SAG-13-3236 (D. Md. June 12, 2015).

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Shifting explanations result in employer liability in Title VII retaliation claim

So a supervisor offers a couple of different explanations for action taken against an employee—how much does that matter? Maybe quite a bit, according to an opinion issued by Judge Jackson last week. See Mohammed v. Central Driving Mini Storage, Inc., Case No. 2:13cv00469 (E.D. Va. 2015). In this case, the court awarded a former […]

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Contractor’s failure to provide project accounting leads to criminal conviction under Va. Code § 43-13

Violation of Va. Code § 43-13 leads to criminal, not civil, liability. Under § 43-13, when a contractor receives money from an owner to pay subcontractors, he cannot use the money for any other purpose. In Holloway v. Commonwealth, owners paid a contractor $422,000 towards a new home, but after five suppliers and subcontractors went […]

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Western District of Virginia narrowly construes Virginia’s anti-indemnification statute

Rental companies may now rest easier in indemnity cases in Virginia.  In RSC Equipment Rental v. Cincinnati Ins. Co., the Western District of Virginia denied a general contractor’s motion to dismiss where the contractor sought to avoid indemnifying a forklift supplier by invalidating its indemnity clause.  Under Va. Code § 11-4.1, a party in a […]

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