The U.S. agency that enforces federal labor law on Sept. 13 took the first steps toward loosening an Obama-era standard that made it easier to hold companies liable for illegal labor practices by their contractors and franchisees.
The five-member National Labor Relations Board, whose majority was appointed by President Donald Trump, proposed a rule that would restore an earlier standard. Under it, companies were considered to be so-called joint employers with their contractors or franchisees only when they exercised direct control over labor issues such as hiring and firing workers and setting wages.
