Punching In: DOL’s Pipeline of Worker Classification Lawsuits

Monday morning musings for workplace watchers

Pending Misclassification Suits | H-4 Case Heats Up | Will Unions Go Electric?

Ben Penn: If Labor Secretary Marty Walsh shies away from an epic worker-classification clash with a gig-economy power, a handful of pending cases offer a shot at advancing case law to achieve a broader interpretation of employee status.

In at least six longstanding suits that have quietly made their way through federal courts, the U.S. Labor Department is accusing companies of misclassifying employees as independent contractors. Most were filed by the Obama administration or stemmed from investigations it initiated.

The prosecutions ...