Early Look in Gig Worker Cases Sought by Labor Dept. Legal Chief

The Labor Department’s chief legal officer wants her front office to look more closely at some cases handled by department’s attorneys, a memo obtained by Bloomberg Law indicates.

Agency attorneys across the country should inform headquarters in Washington of proposed enforcement actions involving “significant legal issues at least one week before any filing or other pertinent deadline,” according to the memo issued Aug. 10 and signed by Labor Solicitor Kate O’Scannlain.

Those issues include cases on unpaid internships, independent contractor classifications that could implicate gig workers, and joint employment, or those that might implicate or impact religious freedom or that ...