What Employers Need to Know about New DOL Changes to Independent Contractor Rule

In a significant shift from Biden-era policy, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a new proposed rule that would reshape the landscape of worker classification. Published on February 27, 2026, the proposal moves to rescind the “totality-of-the-circumstances” framework for worker classification and return to a more business-friendly “economic reality” test. As the DOL explained, under this test, a worker who is economically dependent on an employer for work is more likely an employee;... By: Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP