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Independent Contractors in Today's Economy: Proper Classification and the Risks of Misclassification

Duration:
90 Minutes
Access:
6 months
Webinar Id:
700095
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Recorded Version

$195. One Participant

Recorded Version: Unlimited viewing for 6 months ( Access information will be emailed 24 hours after the completion of live webinar)

Overview:

This webinar is focused on classification of independent contractors in an economic environment where misclassification is currently being viewed as a revenue source by government agencies that are struggling to meet budget challenges.

Most businesses use a combination of employees and contractors to fulfill different business needs. That makes sense but it's important to recognize that employees and contractors have different rights, and businesses have different obligations to each of them. To comply with those obligations, you should be familiar with the various independent contractor tests used by different federal and state agencies and the courts so that you can make a sound business decision about how you classify your workers.

In this webinar, you'll learn about those tests in the context of the current economic environment, best practices for entering into and maintaining independent contractor relationships, and the potential scope of penalties if you get it wrong. You'll also find out about some recent litigation and investigative activity and the financial toll those cases took on the businesses involved. Deciding whether to classify someone as a contractor or employee isn't always easy but this webinar can help you along the way and, at the same time, increase your appreciation of the need to pay very close attention to these issues.

Why you should attend: Every business has to classify their workers as employees or independent contractors. When it comes to independent contractor classifications, the path is not always clear and if you get it wrong, penalties are severe. So it's important to understand the tests that are used to determine contractor status and how to maintain that status once it's been established. Government agencies, both federal and state, have been stepping up their enforcement efforts and mechanisms for the past several years and particularly since 2009. The time has come for every business to take another look at their workforce and to make sure things have been done correctly. Best practices for risk management require it.

Areas Covered In the Session:
  • The current compliance and enforcement environment when it comes to worker misclassifications
  • Benefits and pitfalls of using independent contractors
  • Understanding the various federal and state tests for proper classification of independent contractors
  • The scope of penalties for improper classification
  • Information about recent classification lawsuits and investigations
  • Best practices for entering into and maintaining independent contractor relationships

Who will benefit:
  • Managers and supervisors
  • Human Resources professionals (business partners, generalists and functional specialists)
  • Payroll professionals
  • Business Owners
  • Administrators and office managers
  • Contract Managers
  • Compliance Professionals
Instructor:

Barrie Gross is the founder of Barrie Gross Consulting, a human resources training and consulting firm dedicated to the ongoing management and development of human capital. She is a recognized expert in human resources after having spent 15 years as an employment attorney, including seven years as Vice President & Senior Corporate Counsel for an international Fortune 1000 financial services company that hired Barrie to create and lead the in-house employment law function. In that capacity, Barrie created and delivered management and development coursework throughout the organization as an integral part of her preventative litigation strategy.

Upon leaving in-house legal practice, Barrie turned to HR consulting and training in a non-legal capacity. She worked with Mercer HR Consulting on complex HR issues and became an adjunct university professor, teaching Introduction to Global Management and guest lecturing in the MBA Business Communications program. Barrie also worked with premier international e-learning companies to develop sophisticated management and employee training and development coursework. Barrie then founded her HR consulting and training firm to help others meet demands for more cost effective HR solutions that are sensitive to business needs, support ongoing workforce development, and follow sound risk management practices.

Barrie has a BA from the University of Vermont and a JD from the University of San Francisco, School of Law, where she was a member of the McAuliffe Honor Society. She was a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel for seven years and during the last four of those, served on the executive committee for ACC's Employment & Labor Law membership. She joined SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) in 2005. Barrie is the author of scores of articles about human capital management published by the New York Times, Washington Post, BusinessWeek Online, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Business Journal and other business journals and online business portals. Barrie also does public speaking on talent management strategies, management development and leadership.

Note: Barrie Gross's webinars do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as legal opinion. If you have a legal issue, you should consult your own attorney concerning your situation and facts. Nothing presented on this site or in Barrie Gross's webinars creates or is intended to create an attorney-client or confidential relationship between you and Barrie Gross. Barrie Gross's webinars are for general information only, which may or may not reflect the most current legal developments or be complete.


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