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Final FAR Rule Limits Contractors’ Use Of Employee Confidentiality Agreements

Client Alert | 1 min read | 01.25.17

As of January 19, 2017, a new FAR Council Rule will prohibit federal dollars from going to companies that require employees or subcontractors to sign internal confidentiality agreements that restrict employees from reporting suspected waste, fraud, and abuse to the government; it will also require contractors to notify current employees and subcontractors that any existing confidentiality agreement inconsistent with this new Rule is no longer in effect. The Final Rule (discussed in greater detail here) was published in the Federal Register on January 13, 2017, and applies to all solicitations and contracts using fiscal year 2015 (and subsequent fiscal year) funds that do not already contain a comparable provision.

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Client Alert | 4 min read | 03.05.26

DOL’s Proposed Independent Contractor Rule Reverts to Prioritize Two Core Factors – Likely Limiting Misclassification Claims by Contractors

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has proposed another revision to independent contractor regulations, one that would provide for more leeway in classifying workers as contractors. DOL’s proposed rule, published on February 26, 2026, would rescind the Biden DOL’s March 2024 independent contractor regulation and reinstate a framework substantially tracking the prior Trump rule of January 2021. The proposed rule would also apply the narrower analysis to worker classifications under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act (MSPA). The comment period closes in late April 2026; until then, the 2024 rule remains in effect for purposes of private litigation....