On August 27, 2015, the National Labor Relations Board
("NLRB") issued a decision that changed the way it
approaches the question of whether two companies can be considered
joint employers of the same group of employees for purposes of
collective bargaining under the National Labor Relations Act
("NLRA"). The NLRB's decision in Browning-Ferris
Industries of California, Inc. enlarges the joint-employer
definition in a way that could include entities such as
franchisors, parent companies, and businesses that utilize
temporary workers or subcontractors.
For decades, the NLRB required multiple entities to both possess
and exercise direct and immediate control over a group of workers
to be considered joint employers of those workers. However, the
NLRB's new position is that a company need not actually
exercise control over workers to be considered a joint employer.
Instead, it need only reserve the authority to control them, even
if that authority is never exercised. Additionally, the NLRB stated
that "control exercised indirectly – such as through an
intermediary – may establish joint-employer status."
The NLRB's Decision in Browning-Ferris Industries of California, Inc.
The Browning-Ferris decision involved a company,
Browning-Ferris Industries of California, Inc. ("BFI"),
that used the services of workers provided by a professional
services company called Leadpoint Business Services in running its
business. The workers were hired and directly supervised by
Leadpoint. However, the staffing agreement gave BFI certain control
over which individuals could be hired, and BFI managers did oversee
the work performed by the workers supplied by Leadpoint. BFI also
controlled certain aspects of operations that affected the
workers' terms and conditions of employment, including the
timing of shifts and breaks.
A union seeking to represent the workers supplied by Leadpoint to
BFI asked the NLRB to reconsider the standard it had historically
applied to analyze joint-employer status and recognize BFI and
Leadpoint as the joint employers of the workers in question. Upon
reconsideration, the NLRB adopted the revised, broader standard
described above, reasoning that "the diversity of workplace
arrangements in today's economy has significantly
expanded" and that a revised standard was necessary "to
better effectuate the purposes of the Act in the current economic
landscape."
The revised standard announced by the NLRB allowed it to rely on
BFI's indirect control over the employment conditions of
workers supplied by Leadpoint. For example, the NLRB considered the
fact that BFI communicated working standards and directives to
Leadpoint (rather than directly to workers supplied by Leadpoint)
in concluding that BFI was a joint employer. In addition, the NLRB
analyzed the contracts between BFI and Leadpoint and considered the
authority BFI had to control the conditions of workers supplied by
Leadpoint, regardless of whether BFI actually exercised that
authority.
As a result of its new approach, the NLRB found that BFI had the
authority to exercise enough direct and indirect control over
workers supplied by Leadpoint to be a joint employer for collective
bargaining purposes. Therefore, if the union that initiated this
case is ultimately found to represent a majority of the
Leadpoint-supplied workers at BFI, both BFI and Leadpoint would be
obligated to bargain with the union over the terms and conditions
of employment for those workers.
Practical Implications
While BFI may appeal the NLRB's decision in federal court
and the ultimate issue may still depend on the outcome of such an
appeal, the NLRB's decision in Browning-Ferris Industries
of California, Inc. represents a significant departure from
the previous standard for determining joint-employer status. If the
NLRB's decision holds, that agency may, depending on the
particular facts, find entities such as franchisors and companies
that use subcontractors or temporary employees to be in a
joint-employer relationship, potentially making it easier for
workers to organize and requiring those entities to bargain with
respect to workers who were previously not considered their
employees. Although the Browning-Ferris decision arose in
the context of a union-representation case, the joint-employer
standard announced in the decision could also be applied in the
context of an unfair labor practice case. This would mean that, in
certain circumstances, entities such as franchisors and companies
using subcontractors or temporary workers could be held responsible
for ensuring that jointly employed workers are not denied rights
and protections afforded by the NLRA, such as the right to discuss
working conditions. Franchisors should review their agreements with
franchisees to determine the extent to which they have authority to
control indirectly the working conditions of franchisee employees,
even if they do not exercise that authority. Similarly, companies
should review subcontractor agreements and agreements with staffing
agencies forcomparable issues.
Kilpatrick Townsend's Labor and Employment attorneys will
continue to monitor these issues and keep you informed of
significant developments as they occur. In the meantime, feel free
to contact our attorneys if you have any questions about this
topic.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.