A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

companies wanting independent contractors these days ? - Deb

Posted: Dec 13, 2009

Why are there so many companies wanting independent contractors these days ? Some of us need benefits !

IC WANTED - Because

[ In Reply To ..]
The companies do not want to put out the time and most likely, money it would take for them to have the benefits for their employees. They are trying to get by cheap.

IC - 1mt

[ In Reply To ..]
Just like the other poster said, it's a money issue. As an IC, they do not have to fork out money for unemployment, health benefits, vacation, holiday, OR TAXES. They simply pay you for the work you do, and nothing more. We supposedly have laws out there that give us rights to make decisions about "what we can charge" for our work, what hours we work, etc. However, I've been an IC for a number of years. If I want a day off and someone else has off who I would normally cover for, well then I am denied the day off. If there are only a certain number of us on an account and someone has off, another person cannot have off. This, despite the fact that as an IC you are supposed to be able to decide when you work, how long you work, and what you get paid. It does not work that way at all. Yes there are flexible time schedules wherein I don't have to work set hours as long as the work is done, but I still have to "ask" for a day off. In my opinion, these companies are making out big time by having IC's. They don't have to pay any benefits or taxes, and won't give you an increase in pay when you ask. This sounds like an employee situation. In the end, we stick around because it's brining in the bacon. We just have to bite our tongue and deal with it, and look at the bright side of it of doing our own thing during the day when we need to and finishing our work when we can... as long as it gets done.

Social Security - Reply

[ In Reply To ..]
Not to mention they don't have to pay the employer's portion of Social Security.

IC - 1mt

[ In Reply To ..]
Exactly...and having to pay 100% of your own taxes is probably the biggest downfall of being an IC. But, the flexibilty in the schedule if you have kids...or not, is a big, big plus.

Yes but ... - Reply

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Also, if you lose your job, you can't collect unemployment, nor can you collect workmen's comp.

There is also no law that says a company cannot offer employees that same flexibility in schedule and, in fact, some do. I lived in a city where the city garbage collectors (who were employees with full government benefits and pensions) were given a route that, as soon as they completed it could go home, even if it only took them a few hours to do it. They were paid, however, a 40-hour work week.

This idea that somehow flexibility of schedule governs IC status simply is not true.

ic - 1mt

[ In Reply To ..]
What? Who said flexibility of schedule "governs" IC status?? I merely said it is a big, big plus. While there may be no "law" that says a company can't offer a flexible schedlue, finding such a schedule as an employee is a little more difficult. My point of this all is, as an IC you get paid for what you do and nothing more, no perks, and you have to pay 100% of your own taxes. However, any expenses you may have in order to perform your job (computer software, Internet, paper, fax machine, electric, etc.) is all a tax write-off. It may not be much, but it is something. The flexibility of schedule is great.

Some of us prefer being an IC - just how it is

[ In Reply To ..]
I prefer being an IC. I can and do set my own hours and technically a company cannot tell you not to have a day off. I like the freedom and wouldn't have it any other way. You can buy medical insurance, and set up a savings plan for retirement. You build that into the cost of doing business and always set some money aside specifically for those things.

some reasons - busybee

[ In Reply To ..]
If I get to the point of needing help, I will want ICs...why? It costs $$ to have employees. There's taxes, social security, unemployment, holiday/sick/vacation pay. That's just a few aspects of it. Oh the headache. I really don't think I could afford to have an employee.

I've always been an IC and wouldn't want it any other way. I determine MY schedule according to my needs. I also determine my volume. I also receive some GREAT tax benefits. My internet, computer, office supplies etc are written off taxes. Also since I am self employed, my health insurance premiums are taken off of what I make (decreasing my taxes). I also have an HSA which I contribute to and there's some tax benefits to that, but I could do that whether or not I was an IC.

IC - workingforaliving

[ In Reply To ..]
What office supplies do you have other than your computer and internet? I tried being an IC for a year and my accountant thought I was crazy because you don't get all the tax benefits that I was told. If you work over the internet, you don't have gas to get the work to your employer or the paper needed to print out the reports.

IC - 1mt

[ In Reply To ..]
If you work in your home and have an office area, you need to have electricity, you need to heat your office area, depending on what type of account(s) you work for, there may be things that need to be printed, so paper would be a write-off, pens, pencils, paper shredder, ink for your printer, phone, internet (as you mentioned), computer expenses such as getting repairs done...just to mention a few off the top of my head. True, it does not amount to a whole lot, but it is something.

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