New York has a new law seeking to curtail in the building and construction industry the practice of misclassifying employees as independent contractors (ICs).  On August 27, 2010, Governor Paterson signed into law the New York Construction Industry Fair Play Act.  The law, which goes into effect 60 days after enactment, only covers businesses in the construction industry.

The legislation resulted from findings by both the legislative and executive branches of government in New York that the practice of misclassifying employees as ICs and paying workers “off the books” was 50% more prevalent in the construction industry than in all other industries in New York.

A comprehensive review of the legislative background and an analysis of the law can be found in a published article by the publisher of this blog post in the New York Law Journal.

After months of uncertainty in the second half of 2013 and the first three months of 2014, the law of independent contractor misclassification in New York State will change in the transportation and delivery of commercial goods industry on April 10, 2014.  Yesterday, March 17, 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed

The law of independent contractor misclassification in New York State is about to change for many companies in the business of transportation or delivery of commercial goods – but no one quite knows if it will be tomorrow or in another 30 or more days.

The new law targets transportation

On January 10, 2014, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the New York Commercial Goods Transportation Industry Fair Play Act  (S5867-2013; A5237b).  The new law targets transportation and delivery companies in New York that classify as independent contractors certain drivers that deliver commercial goods in the state.

Reprinted with permission from the November 27, 2013 edition of the New York Law Journal ©2013 ALM Media Properties, LLC. All rights reserved. Further duplication without permission is prohibited. For information, contact ALMReprints.com, 877.257.3382 or reprints@alm.com.

A new bill that will significantly limit the use of independent contractors to

The New York Construction Industry Fair Play Act goes into effect today, as previously noted in a detailed posting on this site  and in an article published in the New York Law Journal by a publisher of this blog.  From this point forward in the construction industry, companies and their

In the absence of federal legislation addressing the issue of misclassification of employees as independent contractors, no less than 16 states have passed their own laws seeking to curtail misclassification of employees as independent contractors, including five states so far in 2010: Connecticut, Nebraska, New York, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

URL
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2013/11/18/new-york-state-signs-agreements-with-u-s-department-of-labor-to-partner-in-preventing-independent-contractor-misclassification-15th-state-to-join-federal-misclassification-initiative
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https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2019/02/04/january-2019-independent-contractor-misclassification-and-compliance-news-update
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https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2019/09/11/how-to-operate-in-california-with-independent-contractors-after-ab5-bill-is-signed-into-law
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2019/12/17/a-solution-to-the-five-degrees-of-independent-contractor-misclassification
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2020/01/09/november-and-december-2019-independent-contractor-misclassification-and-compliance-law-news-update
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2020/02/14/january-2020-independent-contractor-misclassification-and-compliance-law-news-update
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2020/03/26/federal-cares-act-to-provide-unemployment-assistance-to-independent-contractors-paid-leave-now-also-available-to-ics
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2020/03/26/is-the-new-postmates-decision-in-new-york-a-blockbuster-case-on-independent-contractor-misclassification-or-not
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2020/04/07/how-can-companies-protect-themselves-against-independent-contractors-mistakenly-filing-as-employees-for-unemployment-benefits-under-the-cares-act
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2020/07/21/should-your-business-require-independent-contractors-to-sign-coronavirus-waivers-and-releases-of-liability
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/legal-resources/ic-diagnostics
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/?s=fedex&submit=GO
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/?s=new+york+construction+industry+fair+play+act
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/06/02/independentcontractorcompliance-com-a-legal-resource-promoting-compliance-with-laws-permitting-the-use-of-independent-contractors
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/06/04/fed-ex-ground-suffers-a-setback-in-illinois-court-finds-fedex-misclassified-its-illinois-drivers-as-independent-contractors
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/06/04/how-to-make-sense-out-of-all-those-alerts-about-independent-contractor-misclassification
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/06/25/senate-committee-moves-ahead-with-federal-bill-outlawing-misclassification-of-employees-as-independent-contractors
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/08/12/fedex-ground-update-on-driver-misclassification-new-lawsuit-follows-changes-to-fedex’s-massachusetts-business-model-launched-on-same-day-it-settles-with-state’s-attorney-general
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/08/12/fedex-ground-update-on-driver-misclassification-new-lawsuit-follows-changes-to-fedexs-massachusetts-business-model-launched-on-same-day-it-settles-with-states-attorney-general
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/08/30/fedex-ground-prevails-in-key-ruling-under-common-law-test-for-independent-contractor-status
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/09/02/a-game-changer-for-the-building-and-construction-industry-the-new-york-construction-industry-fair-play-act
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/09/22/fair-playing-field-act-of-2010-the-end-of-‘safe-harbor’-for-businesses-misclassifying-employees-as-independent-contractors
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/09/22/fair-playing-field-act-of-2010-the-end-of-safe-harbor-for-businesses-misclassifying-employees-as-independent-contractors
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/09/23/effect-of-congressional-passage-of-misclassification-legislation-on-the-enactment-of-new-state-laws-governing-independent-contractors
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/09/23/federal-bills-would-crack-down-on-misclassification-but-would-not-curtail-the-use-of-independent-contractors-if-businesses-make-timely-use-of-alternatives-to-enhance-their-compliance-with-existing-an
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https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/10/07/new-strategic-plan-by-us-dol-includes-identification-and-elimination-of-independent-contractor-misclassification-as-a-targeted-objective
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/10/08/another-class-action-certification-granted-in-a-misclassification-case-this-time-against-a-referral-agency-for-independent-contractors
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/10/14/pennsylvania-cracks-down-on-independent-contractor-misclassification-in-the-construction-industry-governor-signs-law-that-imposes-strict-standards-substantial-fines-and-criminal-penalties
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/10/20/misclassification-enforcement-state-and-federal-workforce-agencies-meet-to-coordinate-joint-efforts-to-crackdown-on-misuse-of-independent-contractor-status
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/10/21/fedex-ground-settles-with-montana-attorney-general-over-misclassification-of-drivers-as-independent-contractors-settlement-is-for-2-3-million-for-failure-to-pay-unemployment-insurance-taxes-and-with
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/10/24/new-york-is-next-state-to-sue-fedex-for-misclassification-of-its-ground-division-drivers-as-independent-contractors
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/10/27/congress-misfires-with-double-barreled-approach-to-misclassification-of-employees-as-independent-contractors
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/10/28/update-on-new-york’s-construction-industry-misclassification-law-takes-effect-today-ends-lawful-use-of-many-independent-contractors-and-requires-posting-of-government-notice
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/10/28/update-on-new-yorks-construction-industry-misclassification-law-takes-effect-today-ends-lawful-use-of-many-independent-contractors-and-requires-posting-of-government-notice
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/10/29/yet-another-class-action-certified-in-a-misclassification-case-adult-dancers-claim-they-are-not-independent-contractors-but-rather-employees-deprived-of-overtime
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2010/11/02/another-truck-delivery-firm-pays-out-2-25-million-to-settle-two-class-action-misclassification-cases
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2011/01/10/independent-contractor-misclassification-ruling-in-favor-of-fedex-ground-confirms-critical-role-played-by-ic-agreements-and-policies-and-procedures-in-class-action-litigation
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2011/01/26/maine-governor-takes-positive-step-to-clarify-state-independent-contractor-laws
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2011/01/26/presidents-state-of-the-union-speech-highlights-federal-focus-on-independent-contractor-misclassification-issue-and-1099s
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2011/02/28/pennsylvania-labor-department-issues-notices-and-complaint-forms-under-construction-workplace-misclassification-act
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2011/03/01/utah-legislators-seeking-to-clamp-down-on-creative-efforts-to-avoid-labor-costs-and-misclassification-liability
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2011/04/13/senate-re-loads-on-independent-contractor-misclassification-new-bill-characterizes-misclassification-as-payroll-fraud
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2011/04/29/repeal-of-expanded-form-1099-congressional-appropriation-for-worker-misclassification
https://www.independentcontractorcompliance.com/2011/09/22/irs’s-new-voluntary-classification-settlement-program-adds-additional-choice-for-companies-concerned-about-independent-contractor-misclassification-liability

While there were no headline-grabbing cases or developments in the area of independent contractor misclassification and compliance during the past month, the first four court decisions reported below provide the basis for two useful strategies for companies to consider when using an independent contractor business model or supplementing their workforces