Contractor or Employee? Exempt or Non-Exempt? Understanding the Distinctions When Classifying Workers
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The document discusses the distinctions between contractors and employees, including the legal risks of misclassification and the criteria for exempt versus non-exempt employee status. It emphasizes the importance of proper classification to avoid costly legal issues and provides guidelines for maintaining compliant relationships with independent contractors. Additionally, it outlines key factors that determine worker classification under IRS and DOL regulations, along with strategies for ensuring accurate employee classifications.
Contractor or Employee? Exempt or Non-Exempt? Understanding the Distinctions When Classifying Workers
- 1. Contractor or Employee? Exempt or Non-Exempt? Understanding the Distinctions when Classifying Workers October 2017 Jaime Lizotte HR Solutions Manager Shanna Wall, Esq. Compliance Attorney
- 2. Contractor or Employee? Exempt or Non-Exempt? Welcome! Before we get started … Use the chat box on the left to ask questions If you are having audio trouble, please message us in the chat box, and we will do our best to assist you
- 3. What We’ll Cover Today How to protect yourself from costly misclassification mistakes and legal issues Factors that define the worker relationship, according to the IRS and DOL Warning signs that the contractor you’re using is actually an employee under the law What determines exempt vs. non-exempt status Steps to take if a worker is misclassified
- 5. Contractor vs. Employee Very common for businesses to use independent contractors (ICs) to avoid overhead cost But many employers don’t realize there is a distinction under the law Guidelines are complex, and can vary by state It’s estimated 30% of businesses who use ICs misclassify (intentional or not)
- 6. What are the Risks? State and federal government agencies are watching Agencies have bias toward treating workers as employees, rather than contractors Harder to collect employment taxes from IC’s ICs are not covered by workers’ comp ICs don’t benefit from most labor law protections Risks include back taxes, back wages, back premiums and lawsuits And agencies share information!
- 7. Red Flags Your IC Is an Employee Work being done is essential to your core business Worker is being micromanaged by an employee Worker is given specific work hours Worker uses equipment owned by the business Relationship is open-ended with no clear scope Worker provides a SSN, not a business EIN Worker is being paid from a payroll account
- 8. If you hire independent contractors, do you use a written contact specifying the relationship? Quick Poll Question #1
- 9. How to Keep an IC Legally Legit • Work with ICs that have business name and EIN • Use an Independent Contractor Agreement – Define scope of work and deadline up front • Require IC to use his or her equipment • Set up as a vendor and pay out of Accounts Payable • Issue a 1099 at year end • Don’t use the same IC for indefinite periods • Use employees for core business functions
- 11. Exempt vs. Non-Exempt Why should you care? Because even innocent mistakes can lead to BIG settlements for FLSA violations. Just ask: Fed Ex - $228 million Publix Supermarkets - $30 million PNC Bank - $6 million McDonalds - $3.75 million
- 12. Cases on the Rise The number of federal cases continues to rise almost every year: 1993 – More than 1,400 cases filed 2003 – More than 4,000 2007 – More than 6,700 2015 – More than 8,700
- 13. Let’s Look at the Differences Non-Exempt (or “hourly”) employees: Overtime pay required – at the rate of one and one-half times regular rate – for all hours worked over 40 in a workweek Must be paid at least minimum wage for all hours worked Accurate time records must be kept
- 14. Let’s Look at the Differences Cont’d Exempt (or “salaried”) employees: Overtime pay not required Time records not required Paid on a salary basis for all hours worked Common examples include executives and high-level managers
- 15. When Can Employees Be Exempt? To qualify for an exemption, an employee: Must be paid on a salary basis Must meet the minimum salary threshold (currently $455/week) Must meet a duties test for an exemption Employee must meet minimum salary level AND satisfy specific job duties tests to be exempt
- 16. Types of Exemptions White collar exemptions Administrative Executive Professional Creative Outside Sales Business owner Highly compensated employees
- 17. Test for Executive Exemption In general, the employee must: 1. Manage a team or department 2. Direct the work of 2 or more employees 3. Have authority to hire and fire
- 18. Test for Administrative Exemption In general, the employee must: 1. Perform non-manual work 2. Manage “back-office” general business operations 3. Have decision-making authority on significant matters
- 19. Test for Professional Exemption In general, the employee must: 1. Perform tasks requiring advanced knowledge 2. Have advanced education or specialized training 3. Be specialized in a field of science or learning
- 20. Additional Tests Creative Professional: The employee’s primary duty must be work requiring invention, imagination, originality or talent in a recognized artistic or creative field. Computer Employees: The employee’s primary duty must deal with systems analysis, development or operations, (e.g. programmers or IT specialists) Outside Sales: The employee’s primary duty must be making sales and must do so outside of the employer’s business location.
- 21. Remember … Exempt status is determined through two factors: Compensation and Department of Labor (DOL) “job duties” test. The employee must be making the minimum salary and pass every criteria of one of the DOL tests.
- 22. Exceptions Some overtime exemptions still exist that do not require a minimum salary; meaning you’re not required to pay these employees* overtime even if they do not meet the minimum salary. • Lawyers • Doctors • Teachers • Computer employees if paid at least $27.63/hour • Outside sales • Inside/commissioned sales *Additional legal tests apply
- 23. Quick Poll Question #2 How confident are you that all of your employees are classified correctly as exempt or non-exempt according to FLSA regulations?
- 24. If Someone is Misclassified … If you have a worker who is classified as exempt and “salaried,” and you realize he/she is misclassified, you should: • Record payroll status change • Update job descriptions if necessary • Consider state/local notification requirements • Implement or upgrade timekeeping system • Reevaluate rewards, prizes and incentives; it all counts toward overtime calculations
- 25. Additional Tips Conduct an audit of all employees Review all of your exempt classifications (no matter how highly paid) Document basis for exemptions Implement and distribute salary deduction policy Update job descriptions to support classifications Conduct general compensation analysis and correct pay discrepancies (e.g., Equal Pay Act, Title VII, ADEA)
- 26. ComplyRight HR Solutions Power Training Products • Downloadable – receive instantly • Available with or without audio • Customizable PPT presentation • Speaker’s Notes FLSA Forms & Tools • Contains 4 different sets of printed forms • All forms are attorney written and approved • CD ROM contains printed forms as well as others • Payroll status change form • Weekly timesheet • Overtime Request Form For more information on these products visit HRDirect.com
- 27. Wait… there’s more! Watch the recording of this webinar here. Connect With Us @ComplyRight @ComplyRight ComplyRight,Inc. Interested in more FREE webinars? Check out our webinar topics here.