As an employee, you’re in line to receive a variety of benefits. However, should your employer misclassify you as an independent contractor, you’ll miss out on many benefits, along with other privileges.
Here are just some of the benefits you could lose out on:
- Health insurance: Employees are likely to be in line to receive health insurance. And in most cases, at a discounted price. However, if you’re a contractor, you won’t qualify, so you’ll have to buy on your own.
- Retirement account: For example, many employers offer the ability to save through a 401(k) account. Adding to this, some even match your contributions up to a certain level. As a contractor, you’re responsible for your own retirement savings, without a match.
- Ineligible for unemployment insurance: You hope that you never find yourself out of work, but it could happen. If it does, it’s nice to know that you qualify for unemployment insurance. While employees are eligible for this benefit, contractors are not.
These are just a few of the many benefits you’re missing out on if a company misclassifies you as a contractor.
Should this happen, talk to your supervisor and/or HR department about your concerns. They may soon realize that they’re violating the law, while also hindering your ability to obtain valuable benefits.
In the event that the company continues to treat you like a contractor, it may be time to take legal action to seek all the compensation and benefits that you’ve missed out on. Don’t sit back and let someone take advantage of you for their own gain. You need to protect yourself.