DOL Signs Agreement with RI Department of Labor and Training
The agreement is a new effort by the agencies to work together to protect the rights of employees and level the playing field for responsible employers by reducing the practice of misclassification.
The U.S. Department of Labor and the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training signed a three-year memorandum of understanding intended to protect the rights of employees by preventing their misclassification as independent contractors or other non-employee status. Under the agreement, both agencies will share information and coordinate law enforcement, according to DOL's release.
The agreement is a new effort by the agencies to work together to protect the rights of employees and level the playing field for responsible employers by reducing the practice of misclassification. Before the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training agreed to partner with DOL, Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming agencies also signed similar agreements.
For more information, visit http://www.dol.gov/misclassification/.
"Misclassification deprives workers of earned wages and undercuts law-abiding businesses. Combating misclassification is one of several important steps the U.S. Labor Department is taking to promote shared prosperity and ensure that our economy works for everyone," said U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez.
"Working with the states is an important tool for ending misclassification and other workplace abuses. These collaborations allow us to better coordinate and ensure compliance with both federal and state laws alike," added M. Patricia Smith, solicitor of Labor of the U.S. Department of Labor.