Statement from NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke on Final Independent Contractor Rule

Chuck Fowke, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a custom home builder from Tampa, Fla., issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Labor issued its final independent contractor rule:

“NAHB commends the Department of Labor for issuing its final rule clarifying the definition of employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as it relates to independent contractors. Given the often conflicting federal tests that exist, NAHB supports the department’s adoption of a sharper ‘economic reality’ test, which will provide more clarity and certainty to regulated employers and small businesses—including home builders and specialty trade contractors—in determining whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee under the FLSA. We urge the incoming Biden administration to allow this rule to take effect on schedule 60 days after it is published the Federal Register.”