On Jan. 12, the U.S. Department of Labor issued final joint employer rules that acknowledge and reflect the American Staffing Association’s comments on proposed rules DOL issued in June 2019. ASA supported DOL’s proposed streamlined four-factor test for determining joint employer status but pointed out that DOL’s proposed joint employment example pertaining to staffing could be misinterpreted, thus frustrating DOL’s goal of providing greater clarity.
The example provided that a client exercised control over a staffing firm’s temporary workers by, among other things, setting their hourly rate of pay. ASA noted that in most staffing arrangements, clients do not set temporary workers’ pay and urged DOL to revise the example.
The final rules include a revised example, reflecting ASA comments, that focuses on clients’ supervision and control over temporary workers’ work, as well as their control over work schedules. DOL also included a new example to show when a staffing client will not be a joint employer. In that example, the staffing firm not only exclusively determines assigned workers’ pay and work schedules, it also supervises them through an on-site supervisor.
The joint employer rules are available at dol.gov. (TEST FOR 1/13/20)
