As the end of 2019 rapidly approaches, many eyes are turning to several federal regulatory agencies where a number of important decisions are expected after the Trump administration released its regulatory schedule this week. The biggest of the big issues relates the question of joint employment status and its applicability under a number of federal statutes. The Wage & Hour Division of the Department of Labor is moving to clarify when companies may be held liable under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for violations committed by their franchisees and contractors.  Likewise, the NLRB is also expected to finalize a similar rule relating application of joint employer status under the National Labor Relations Act, while within the same timeframe, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will issue a proposal in December governing application of the joint employer standard under an array of federal employment discrimination laws.