Freelancers Challenge New Independent Contractor Rule in Court

Four freelance writers and editors are asking a Georgia federal court to toss out the US Department of Labor’s new independent contractor rule, arguing that the change is an abuse of discretion and would force them to lose business.

The rule finalized last week violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the US Constitution for being overly vague and conflicting with the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to their lawsuit filed Tuesday in the US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

The complaint marks the second legal challenge to the rule, which would generally make it harder for businesses ...