Many of the questions we receive from recruiters revolve around the proper classification of workers as either 1099 independent contractors or W-2 employees.  One recent inquiry we received was particularly interesting, and we thought other recruiters could learn from it as well.

The recruiter in question works for a large firm. This particular recruiting firm has a standard practice of asking each contract candidate whether they would prefer to be…

If you have clients who have been misclassifying W-2 employees as independent contractors (ICs), the IRS is providing a way for them to come clean.

Through the agency's recently launched Voluntary Worker Classification Settlement Program, if employers voluntarily reclassify their ICs as…

The Department of Labor (DOL) is requesting $46 million in the Fiscal Year 2012 budget to allow the agency to "redouble its efforts to combat worker misclassification."

Over the past couple of years, the DOL has been cracking down on employers who misclassify workers who should be W-2 employees as 1099 independent…

The Department of Labor (DOL) is enlisting employees in its war against Wage and Hour violations and arming them with high-tech tools to help them identify when they have been a victim of one of these violations.

The DOL has been steadily increasing its efforts to inform employees about their rights.  Last year, the agency released the "We Can Help" Web…

Recruiters who want to get into contracting often ask us how they can get contracting job orders. Some recruiters we work with say the best way to start is to simply ask current direct-hire clients if they need contractors. They may be surprised to learn that you offer contractors, and you may be surprised how many contracting job orders you get as a result!

Here are five other questions that can help you get more contracting job…

The Department of Labor (DOL) recently recovered more than $219,000 in back wages and liquidated damages on behalf of 44 workers who were misclassified as independent contractors, providing a real-life example of how serious the government's crackdown on misclassification is.

The employer had moved a…

Some of the most frequent questions we get at Top Echelon Contracting revolve around the proper classification of workers: When is it OK to classify them as 1099 independent contractors? What are the ramifications of misclassifying workers? When should they be W-2 employees? What triggers an IRS audit?

If you get these same types of questions from your clients, you may want to check out my video chat with…

We've talked a lot on this blog about the government's crackdown on the misclassification of W-2 Employees as 1099 Independent Contractors and have provided resources that recruiters can use to educate their clients on this issue. But if your clients are like a lot of employers out there, they may be thinking it is unlikely that they will be audited, especially if they are a particularly small company.  However, even if a company is very small, there are a number of triggers that could…