Wage Rule Trifecta Poses Test for Marty Walsh’s DOL Leadership

Pandemic response tops Marty Walsh’s list of priorities now that the Senate ended his prolonged wait to be confirmed as U.S. labor secretary, but he also faces tough decisions on how to advance a trio of consequential employment law rules, including on when to consider a worker as an employee rather than an independent contractor.

The U.S. Labor Department has already moved to withdraw or revise prominent Trump-era regulations on independent contractor status, joint employment, and tipped wages. All three had aimed to help businesses avoid lawsuits accusing them of shorting workers on pay, but Biden DOL leaders believe they ...