Late last month, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a proposed rule that would rescind the agency’s 2024 independent contractor regulation and replace it with an employee-classification framework similar to the rule originally adopted in 2021. The proposed rule was published in the  Federal Register  on February 27, 2026, and is subject to a 60-day public comment period ending April 28, 2026. If finalized, the rule would once again reshape how employers assess wheth