OPINIONWorkforce

Something's gotten into government this year. Here's why you should care

Working Lunch: The past week has brought at least one long-awaited and controversial regulatory change. But that's not all that's happening.

Coffee must be flowing more freely than usual these days in Washington, D.C. How else to explain the federal government’s amped-up start to the new year?

The U.S. Department of Labor issued its long-awaited final guideline for deciding when quasi-independent workers like delivery drivers are actually employees entitled to the same pay and benefits as full-fledged hires.

Meanwhile, Congress has taken up a resolution to quash the National Labor Relations Board’s redefinition of “joint employer,” one of the Biden administration’s most controversial dictates on the labor front.

Then again, state governments are not exactly sitting idle, either, with legislatures taking up issues as far afield as tweaking menu-labeling requirements and killing the tip credit.

How is the flurry of governmental and political activity likely to affect restaurants? Join veteran industry lobbyists Joe Kefauver and Franklin Coley, co-hosts of the Working Lunch political-affairs podcast, for a debrief.

This week’s episode also resolves the pressing issue of what sandwich and dessert to order during your next visit to a Panera Bread.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Podcast transcript: Dutch Bros CEO Christine Barone

A Deeper Dive: Here is the transcript for the May 29 podcast with the chief executive of the drive-thru coffee chain, who talks real estate, boba and other topics.

Financing

McDonald's value perception problem is with its lighter users

The Bottom Line: The fast-food giant took the extraordinary step of publicizing average prices this week. It was speaking to its less-frequent customers, who are a lot less likely to say the chain is a good value.

Financing

CEO pay soared last year, despite a volatile period for restaurants

Pay for CEOs at publicly traded restaurants took off last year, but remains lower than average among public companies, even as tenure for the position remains volatile.

Trending

More from our partners