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Joint Employer Status : Nlrb 's New Standard 8

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I. Introduction 2 II. Joint Employer Status: NLRB’s New Standard 8 A. NLRB: Direct Control 9 B. NLRB: Indirect Control 9 III. Joint Employer Status: Common Law Standard 11 A. Common Law: Direct Control 11 B. Common Law: Indirect Control in the Second Circuit 12 IV. The Franchisor’s Dilemma: The Necessity of Indirect Control 13 V. Practices to Avoid 17 VI. Proceed with Caution: Questionable Practices 19 A. Day-to-Day Operational Controls 19 B. Be Careful of Tying Agreements 22 X. Trademark and Trade Dress Protection 25 A. Trademarks Protection 25 B. Trade Dress Protections 30 C. Protections in Practice: Trademark Quality Assurance Programs 31 XI. Conclusion 36 I. INTRODUCTION There’s panic in the streets. Sheer panic. A recent …show more content…

And franchisors, by design, exert indirect control over their franchisees and franchisee’s employees by way of licensing out the operation of their brand. In traditional franchise agreements, the franchisee is an independent business owner with a license to use the franchisor’s trademarks and other intellectual property as part of a royalty or fee arrangement. The ruling, which states that “setting productivity standards” is a form of indirect control, understandably has franchisors and franchise attorneys seeking shelter. Generally speaking, the NLRB’s role is to investigate any unfair labor practices that may be in violation of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (NLRA). NLRB decisions do not necessarily set precedent in the common law courts, however the rulings can be persuasive. If the common law were to pick up the new joint-employer standard and apply it to the franchise relationship, it would create a union bargaining power for franchisee employees to negotiate with corporate headquarters—access that has never before been allowed under national labor laws. Not only would there be new bargaining power, but franchisors may then be responsible for paying overtime, medical insurance, and reimbursing the business expenses of franchisee’s employees. Franchisors simply

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