BlogLine

NLRB Decisions are Trending Pro-Employer

2/27/19

By: Amy C. Bender

The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”) under the Trump administration is showing a return to more conservative, employer-friendly interpretations of the laws regarding employees’ rights to engage in concerted activity to improve wages and working conditions. As a reminder, these protections apply to almost all private-sector employees, regardless of whether they belong to a union.
Independent Contractors – The NLRB recently issued a decision returning to the pre-Obama era, employer-friendly “common law agency” test for determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. This ruling makes it easier for employers to classify workers as independent contractors, which benefits employers since independent contractors do not have certain rights that employees have, such as the right to unionize (and employers do not have to pay taxes or insurance on independent contractors, among other distinctions).
Joint Employers – The NLRB recently closed the period to submit comments on its proposed rule regarding the standard for when two entities are considered joint employers. Under the proposed rule, an entity will be deemed a joint employer only if it has and exercises substantial, direct, and immediate control over the essential terms and conditions of employment and has done so in a manner that is not limited and routine. The current standard from the Obama administration allows a finding of joint employment if an entity exercises indirect control or merely has the contractual right to exercise control, which can result in increased liability for businesses.
Employee Handbook Rules – The NLRB recently issued guidance on when an employer’s workplace policy interferes with employees’ rights to engage in protected concerted activity. The guidance provides that a policy will be placed into one of three categories (generally lawful, warrants individualized scrutiny, or unlawful) and be subject to a balancing test between the policy’s negative impact on employees’ ability to exercise their rights and the policy’s connection to employers’ right to maintain discipline and productivity in their workplace. This guidance provides employers more clarity and detail on how to craft lawful policies and also makes clear that policies will be analyzed to determine the impact they would have (and not just conceivably could have) on employees’ rights.
These developments signal good news for employers, and let’s hope this trend continues.
For questions or assistance in reviewing or preparing your workplace policies, contact Amy Bender at 770-818-1421 or abender@fmglaw.com.