New York State Creates Task Force to Crack Down on Employee Misclassification

On September 7, 2007, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer issued Executive Order No. 17, which establishes a statewide Task Force to systematically investigate cases in which employers have misclassified employees as independent contractors and to refer such cases for prosecution where appropriate. The Task Force’s creation reflects a new, heightened emphasis in New York on enforcing federal and state labor, employment and tax laws, which Governor Spitzer has described as “a key component of my economic security agenda.”