The Wisconsin Department of Workforce (DWD) this week launched an educational campaign to build awareness of and help combat worker misclassification, a practice in which employees are incorrectly and illegally treated as independent contractors, according to a recent press release. Under the law, workers are presumed to be employees unless an employer demonstrates the workers meet the legal criteria to be independent contractors.
Most educational campaign materials will run through Nov. 19, with certain elements continuing through March 2024. The funding source for the $90,000 campaign is a $6.4 million U.S. Department of Labor Equity Grant that DWD successfully pursued in 2022. DWD also has an updated web page that provides information on misclassification to employers and workers, including how to report suspected misclassification.
Employee misclassification is of concern in Wisconsin and other states because it results in wage theft, tax avoidance, and the loss of worker protections such as unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation.
DWD combats misclassification through investigation and enforcement as well as education and outreach with stakeholder groups including unions and workforce development boards. Additional information is available online.
