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Legislative Update from NCISS Legislative Committee and Lobbyit


        5.  Extent to which the work performed is an integral part of the potential employer’s business. Th    actor considers
            whether the work per ormed is an integral part o  the poten al employer’s business. This  actor does not depend on
            whether any individual worker in par cular is an integral part o  the business, but rather whether the  unc on they
            per orm is an integral part o  the business. This  actor weighs in  avor o  the worker being an employee when the
            work they per orm is cri cal, necessary, or central to the poten al employer’s principal business. This  actor weighs
            in  avor o  the worker being an independent contractor when the work they per orm is not cri cal, necessary, or
            central to the poten al employer’s principal business.

        6.  Skill and initiative. This  actor considers whether the worker uses specialized skills to per orm the work and whether
            those skills contribute to business-like ini a ve. This  actor indicates employee status where the worker does not use
            specialized skills in per orming the work or where the worker is dependent on training  rom the poten al employer
            to per orm the work.  here the worker brings specialized skills to the work rela onship, this  act is not itsel
            indica ve o  independent contractor status because both employees and independent contractors may be skilled
            workers. It is the worker’s use o  those specialized skills in connec on with business-like ini a ve that indicates that
            the worker is an independent contractor.

        Im  ct    I v  tig ti     d   cu  ty P  f
        The N ISS  egisla on  ommittee is o  the opinion that, while inves gators and security pro essionals who subcontract
                                                                                                 th
        work to each other may not be impacted by most o  the Final Rule, there is concern regarding the 5   actor, which states:
            “Extent to which the work performed is an integral part of the potential employer’s business.”
            The language in the rule lacks clarity, and this could lead to unintended potentially disruptive consequences for
            professions that have historically been reliant on independent contractor business models.
            NCISS considers the subcontracting of work as a business to business (“B2B”) relationship. The DOL, and ultimately
            the courts, may not agree.

        None o  us want to be a test case in li ga on filed by an overzealous labor law attorney.
        The bottom line is that due to the ambiguity in the language, we just do not know at this point i  and how the Final Rule
        will a ect inves gators and security pro essionals.

                                                     Wh t    N I   d   g?

        N I   B   d A    v    u    t  f    l ti   O      g DOL Rul
           g        l R v  w Act -- j   t     luti       th      t    d H u   --H.J. R   116   d  .J. R   63
        Joint resolutions were introduced in both the Senate and House, to nullify the U.S. Department of Labor’s (“DOL”)
        recently finalized regulation (the “new rule”)1 that sets the enforcement standard DOL will use for determining whether
        a worker is an employee or an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”).

        This coalition letter in opposition to the DOL rule can be found on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor
        and Pensions page at https://www.help.senate.gov/ic-cra-letter-of-support_final-002pdf

        In early March, the N ISS  egisla ve  ommittee proposed to the Board to join this coali on in support o  the joint
        resolu ons opposing the  O  Rule. In mid March, the N ISS Board unanimously passed in support o  the joint
        resolu ons.

        The House and Senate resolutions in opposition to the DOL rule and  NCISS supports can be found here:
        https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-joint-resolution/116
        https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/63





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