Franchise Model Update

There may soon be good news for businesses that rely on the franchise model, which, along with gig work, has been under assault from the left for quite some time.The good news comes in the form of proposed regulations concerning "joint employment" that have just passed the required period for public comment:These distinctions between business relationships and arrangements matter under our labor laws. What's known as "joint employment" occurs when two or more entities are both liable for a single worker's terms and conditions of employment. There's been a fight in Washington over changing the nature of franchising, staffing agenices, and even independent contracting relationships from partnerships to traditional employer -- employee arrangements, to the detriment of all and the communities they serve. The good news is that the Trump Department of Labor planted a flag in the ground to protect these independent arrangements in its thoughtful proposed joint employer rule. The public…