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ARTICLE · 12 DECEMBER 2016

Freelance Isn't Free Act Signed by Mayor De Blasio

Seyfarth Shaw LLP
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The Freelance Isn't Free Act, granting protections for freelancers in New York City, was signed by Mayor De Blasio on November 16, 2016.

United StatesEmployment and HR
Meredith-Anne Berger
Meredith-Anne Berger
Gena Usenheimer
Gena Usenheimer
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Seyfarth Synopsis: The Freelance Isn’t Free Act, granting protections for freelancers in New York City, was signed by Mayor De Blasio on November 16, 2016.  The law, on which we previously reported in detail here, will go into effect on May 15, 2017.

As we anticipated, Mayor De Blasio signed the Freelance Isn’t Free Act into law on November 16, 2016.  With his signature, the law will become effective on May 15, 2017.  Highlights of the law follow.  For more specific details, see our earlier client alert. 

Under the law, freelance workers are defined as “any natural person or any organization composed of no more than one natural person, whether or not incorporated or employing a trade name, that is hired or retained as an independent contractor by a hiring party to provide services in exchange for compensation.”  The term “independent contractor” is not defined under the Act.

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