I believe I was misclassified as an independent contractor instead of an employee.
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I believe I was misclassified as an independent contractor instead of an employee.
I believe I was misclassified as an independent contractor instead of an
employee. I have worked for the same company for almost 2 years. Same schedule
that was given to me M-F, 8am to 5pm. The company was an outsourcing company for
IT support and I was layed off when the outsourcing company lost their company
contract for IT support. I am unable to receive unemployment benefits because
they say I was set as an independent contractor. I had a work ID, a set schedule
to work, breaks, and lunches. I was even trained to do the position by the
company given a workstation and my own employee badge. 2 breaks and a lunch
everyday. Am I misclassifed?
Asked on November 15, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, North Carolina
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Based on what you describe, it is likely you were misclassfied: the factors you describe are those that typically make a worker an employee, not independent contractor. You can and should appeal the denial, but before doing that, strongly consider consulting with and retaining an employment lawyer to help you--you may wish to bring other claims against the employer, too.
For example, if you should have been an employee and employees of this company received benefits, you should have received them, too--and may be entitled to monetary compensation equivalent to their value. If you were an employee, the employer should have paid the employer portion of social security, etc. taxes for you--if they did not, you may have a claim for those. If you worked more than 40 hours per week, it is possible that you should have received overtime. Etc. So if you did not get things that an employee would have received, you may wish to file a claim with the department of labor and/or sue for them; you'd want an employment attorney to help you, and if you are going to hire an employment lawyer, let him/her help you with the unemployment appeal, too
If you decide to not hire a lawyer, you can get information about appealing a denial from the unemployment agency. Bring to their attention the factors you list in your question.
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