Kentucky, DOL partner to prevent employee misclassification

Washington – The Department of Labor and the Kentucky Labor Cabinet have signed an agreement to ensure employees in the Bluegrass State are not misclassified as independent contractors.

Workers who are misclassified are often denied access to specific benefits, including medical leave and safe workplaces, according to DOL. To help prevent this, DOL and Kentucky on July 15 announced a memorandum of understanding in which they agreed to conduct coordinated investigations, make referrals to one another, share data and information, and coordinate educational efforts.

“Misclassification cheats workers, steals from taxpayers, hurts businesses that follow the law, and weakens our economy,” Kentucky Labor Cabinet Secretary Larry Roberts said in a press release. “Although legitimate independent contractors are an important part of our economy, the misclassification of employees presents a serious problem that is happening at public and private projects all over the commonwealth.”

Kentucky is the 23rd state to sign such an agreement with DOL.