HR Law 101: Many organizations use independent contractors as a way to sidestep payroll taxes, expensive fringe benefits and red tape. But if the IRS concludes that those workers are really employees, the employer could be liable for back taxes, penalties and interest charges ...

HR Law 101:

The IRS has the burden of proof when it interrogates an employer about its worker classifications. Before the Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996, the onus was on the employer to prove that an individual didn't qualify as an employee ...

HR Law 101:

Your contract with an independent contractor establishes payment rates and methods, the nature of the work to be completed, the deadline for completing the job and performance standards. No matter how casual the relationship or how well you know the contractor, you should always have a signed contract describing the work to be done ... 

HR Law 101: When independent contractors are acting as a company’s agents, the company is liable for their actions, according to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2003 ...