August 26th, 2015
‘Joint Employer’ Status Represents a Loss of Autonomy for Small Business Owners
New regulations proposed by Obama labor arbiters could strip entrepreneurs of the flexibility they need to survive, according to the business community. Small business owners and labor experts told a House subcommittee on Tuesday that joint employer standards proposed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) would destroy the franchise business model. Witnesses at the hearing claimed that the NLRB’s proposal would detract from the franchisee’s autonomy and flexibility, hurt business efficiency, stifle job growth, and create labor unrest.
Retired Air Force Col. Steve Carey, the owner of a CertaPro Painters franchise in Alabama and a witness at the hearing, said the proposal would severely limit his autonomy as a small business owner. Without control over his employees, Carey said, his business would not maintain the flexibility it needs to survive. “I have the autonomy to run my business as I see fit. I make the decisions every day, and that’s what I bought in to,” he said. Read more