A personal story of government overreach threatening the American Dream

For months, Job Creators Network has been working tirelessly to raise awareness of the “joint-employer” rule that has the potential to wreck one of the most successful business models our nation has ever seen – the franchise  model.

This way of doing business has enabled the creation of hundreds of thousands of small businesses. With the security of an established brand, franchises have opened the door of opportunity for so many people to pursue the American Dream.

Don’t just take our word for it. This op-ed in the Wall Street Journal gives the first-hand account of a man who worked his way up from a 19 year old immigrant from Pakistan to the franchisee owner of dozens of stores.

Amir Siddiqi writes that he considered his move to the United states as the “best chance to start a life away from the government control and corruption that troubled my country.” And through the franchising model, he enjoys autonomy over his stores, employs some 900 people – including teenagers and immigrants working their first jobs: “I take great pride that the next person with goals like mine could be working in one of my restaurants today.”

Unfortunately, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is demonstrating a form of government control Siddiqi sought to escape when he came to the U.S. back in 1985.

“And so imagine my shock when I recently discovered that the NLRB has decided that my franchiser, who has zero say in the hiring, firing or managing of my staff, could now be considered their “joint employer.” Should this standard prevail, my franchiser could be held jointly liable for any labor-law violations in restaurants that carry its brand.”

“Because of this, my franchiser might feel the need to protect itself from liability by exerting control over my employment decisions. Perhaps my franchiser will want to review every job applicant and compensation package before I can make someone an offer. My franchiser might feel that it needs to be present in my restaurants to monitor the workplace, dictate or even administer employee training, and increase staffing as it, rather than my general managers and I, deem necessary.”

The more government overreach we see from unelected bureaucrats like the NLRB, the less economic freedom there is for entrepreneurs like Mr. Siddiqi.

Read the entire op-ed here.

To learn more about the NLRB’s “joint-employer” rule, please visit DefendMainStreet.com.