Here’s the Cost of Being the Boss: Joint Employers Explained (2)

Who signs your paycheck? That question was once a common way for workers to identify their employers, but it’s been obscured by the rise of direct deposit and complicated by networks of contract, staffing, and other business arrangements that can leave employees unclear who actually calls the shots.

A trio of Trump administration agencies is trimming down “joint employment,” or situations in which two or more businesses are legally considered to employ the same group of workers.

The moves mark a significant victory for McDonald’s Corp. and other franchisers, as well as a wide range of companies that rely on ...