Dat Dog has added its voice to those calling for a roll-back of the wider definition of ‘joint employer’ which came into being during the Obama era. The New Orleans-based hot dog business which opened its first store on Freret St in 2011 was among several concepts requesting clarification of the present definition – which many franchisors see as potentially restrictive for business – to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Jerry Reese, who heads up franchise development for Dat Dog, said the current definition of joint employer threatened the company’s plans to expand in the South. Dat Dog, which already has locations in Lafayette and Hattiesburg, has been looking to establish further franchised outlets in Mississippi and this year announced that it is looking for franchisees in the Gulf South region.
“Implementing our expansion plan will certainly depend on Congress’s willingness to help address regulatory obstacles that make the future growth of small businesses, like ours, uncertain,” Reese said. “As with any business that is fortunate enough to grow, we now face new risks. Joint employer is the most prominent risk on our minds.”
