The one-two punch of state and federal employment standards activity poses an existential threat to franchising; many commentators, including this one, have acknowledged that fact. But why? Did the California legislature or the Obama Department of Labor intend to deliver a knock-out punch to a very popular business structure that creates tens of thousands of
AB-5
Joint Employment in Chaos: DOL Joint Employment Rule Invalidated
Hot on the heels of disappointing AB-5 news from California, a federal district court in Manhattan delivered a stinging rebuke to the Department of Labor (“DOL”), invalidating the control-based joint employment rule issued by the Department only 6 months ago.
The DOL Rule adopted a control-based test of joint employment for purposes of federal employment…
No Joy for Franchising in CA: AB-5 Exemption Rejected
As if COVID, wildfires, and heat weren’t enough, California franchisors and franchisees suffered another gut punch when the legislature rejected a proposed franchise exemption to AB-5.
When AB-5 was enacted in 2019, to the horror of the franchise industry, it appeared to create a presumption that the franchise business model created an employment relationship between…
Webinar: Preserving Your Franchise System in the Face of California AB-5
So we’ve talked a bit over the last couple of weeks about California’s AB-5 and the implications for franchising. But maybe you would like to learn more? Then you’re in luck! On Monday, October 28, 2019, at 9 am PT (12 noon ET), my colleagues Tami McKnew and Nancy Yaffe will be presenting a webinar…
California’s AB-5 Implications (Part 2)
As noted in our first post on this topic, California’s AB-5 codified the employment test set forth in Dynamex Operations West v. Superior Court of Los Angeles, 4 Cal. 5th 903 (2018). Although the full implications of this new law are unclear, it will like have a major impact on the franchise industry.
If, as…