In the Headlines
March 10, 2023

DOL Observers Size Up Marty Walsh's Wage and Hour Legacy

Law360

Labor and employment attorney Timothy Taylor was quoted in a Law360 article about the legacy of U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Marty Walsh following his recent departure to the private sector. One of the major rules the DOL enacted with Mr. Walsh at the helm was a $15 hourly minimum wage for federal contract workers. Mr. Taylor argued that the rule was a perennial political move.

"Both parties have used government contracting to push parts of their agenda forward that aren't amenable to congressional action," he said. "I don't think that this was necessarily an earth-shattering step for the administration to update that minimum wage."

Another rule Mr. Taylor commented on was a proposal, which is not yet finalized, that would update the legal requirements for classifying a worker as either an employee or independent contractor, the latter of which often lack the benefits and protections mandated for employees. He compared the proposal to a previous independent contractor rule enacted by the Trump Administration.

"The Trump rule, I think, was more flexible and, I think, in some ways reflected some of the evolution in the modern workplace," he said. "But, again, here, it's not something that is so totally cataclysmic as something like California's A.B. 5."

READ: DOL Observers Size Up Marty Walsh's Wage and Hour Legacy (Subscription required)

Related News and Headlines