Florida employers should familiarize themselves with the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) recently published final rule providing guidance on how to properly classify a worker as an employee or independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The final rule, which is set to take effect March 11, significantly changes the analysis employers must utilize when determining whether to classify a worker as an employee, entitled to the protections of the FLSA, or an independent contractor, not entitled to the protections of the FLSA. With the large number of small businesses in Florida that depend on independent contractors, Florida employers need to take time to understand the final rule and make any changes necessary to their business model so they can best avoid the serious economic costs of worker misclassification.