PLDO Partner Matthew C. Reeber Releases a White Paper on the Expanding Gig Economy and How it is Reshaping the Employer-Employee Relationship

Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara LLC (PLDO) Partner Matthew C. Reeber, a prominent employment law attorney, examines the changing landscape of the employer-employee relationship in a recently released white paper, Rights of Workers in the Burgeoning Gig Economy. The paper reports on the inherent friction with laws between gig economy workers and employees who work traditional 40-hour weeks for a clearly defined employer, and how the courts have addressed the rights of the ever-expanding gig workforce that has the freedom to decide on the duration and frequency of their work. To read the white paper, click here.

“Employers must be aware of the gig economy and how it is changing the employer-employee relationship,” said Attorney Reeber. “The courts are addressing gig workers using decades-old legal tests that do not lend themselves to the analysis of workers who receive their daily assignments on smart phones from an app and who may request their wages on demand, several times a day.”

Attorney Reeber further explained, “Recent cases suggest that courts may push back on long-standing tests related to independent contractors because of the difficulty in classifying gig workers. More importantly, the gig economy is creating a body of workers accustomed to quick payment, scheduling flexibility and minimal oversight from their employer. I am pleased to present this paper as a resource for employers to stay informed about how gig workers may affect their organizations now or in the future.”

Attorney Reeber is a member of the firm’s Employment Law and Litigation Teams and a frequent speaker on employment law issues and advisor to employers concerning workplace legal matters. He has handled numerous cases arising under state and federal anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation statutes, wage and hour statutes, whistleblower statutes, family and medical leave statutes, unemployment compensation statutes and claims for wrongful termination. As part of his practice, he frequently appears before all Rhode Island state and federal courts, as well as administrative and regulatory agencies on behalf of his clients.

For the past seven years, he has been named a Rhode Island Super Lawyers Rising Star by Thomson Reuters, a distinction that recognizes the top 2.5 percent of New England lawyers under the age of forty or those in practice for ten years or less. Attorney Reeber earned his J.D. from Tulane University School of Law and his undergraduate degree in American Studies and History, cum laude, from Colby College. He is admitted to practice law in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island.

To reach Attorney Reeber call or email . For information about PLDO, visit www.pldolaw.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

About Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara LLC

Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara (“PLDO”) attorneys are highly skilled with a proven track record of achievement representing clients with respect to complex matters in a wide range of disciplines and industries. The founders of PLDO were formerly partners in an international law firm and are trained in multiple disciplines. The primary areas of practice for the firm include business law, special masterships, government relations and legislative strategies, civil litigation, real estate development, commercial lending, municipal law, nonprofit law, cyber law, health care law, white collar defense, estate planning, probate administration and trust litigation. The core values of respect, integrity, quality service and responsiveness are stressed each day at PLDO and the firm is committed to supporting the community in a meaningful way. The firm is headquartered at 1301 Atwood Avenue in Johnston, RI with offices in Massachusetts and Florida. For more information, visit www.pldolaw.com.

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