#independent contractor

[bitchesgetriches]

“Independent Contractor” My Ass: How to Stop Wage Theft Through Worker Misclassification

Every year, wage theft robs millions of American workers of billions of dollars—and worker misclassification is one of its most widespread, evil forms.

There are crystal-clear guidelines on the difference between independent contractors and employees. And a lot of employers steal from their workers by ignoring them. Today, I’m going to break the differences down for you. See if you recognize yourself, a friend, or a family member in these wage-theft-vulnerable positions.

If you are in a misclassification situation, your employer has stolen your wages. But there’s good news! You have recourse to get my two favorite things: money and justice! You can seek tax reimbursements, backpay, unpaid overtime, worker’s compensation benefits, and more for the years you were misclassified. And you can report your exploitative employer and get them into a wet mess of trouble.

Keep reading.

If you found this helpful, consider joining our Patreon.

[agentjayrock]

Uber? Lyft? What the hell is going on?

Ever had to contact customer support and heard over an automated voice instead of a human? How about contacting them and once you explain to them your issues only for them to give you ready-made responses as they haven't clue of what you're talking about? Well, that's been my excrcuiating experience as a driver for both companies at the same time. So, let's dive into how ludicrous it's been.

Let's start with Uber since it's rich with crazy stories. Uber has kind of a fair hourly wage going $25-30. You can receive payments on weekly basis like most jobs and contracts. Or you can have instant access to your money and even cash out once you've finished your shift with the Pro Card. Of course, I would choose the latter because why not? Normally I cash out directly to my debit card and needed I new one some time ago. I went in to change the details for the new card and had to undergo a security code verification via text message. I never received it so I had to contact support. I explained the issue I had and was told to whilelist my phone number from a text message. That's strange. How come I can receive text messages from Pro Card just fine when logging in, but not for this? Because this didn't work. I thought that this had to be a problem in their end. Now, a good tech support agent would troubleshoot such an issue should a solution like that not work. Not here; they "took it to further support" (Bear with here. I couldn't remember exactly what they said.) in order to resolve my issue. Their response: logout and in, reinstall the app and restart my phone. None of that worked because it's the most half-assed set of solutions of all time. Imagine if EA told you do that with their games you try to boot up. It'll just add the notoriety they're known for having.

It didn't feel like I was chatting with a human, so I decided to call support for a better chance. I had to wait (Get ready for this) ONE MOTHERFUCKING HOUR just to talk with someone. I can't believe I had the patience for that. I finally get to talk with an agent, only for them to tell me the same. Damn. Thing. Dude, what the fuck? Is Uber run by Skynet or something?! I kept contacting until I remembered why I had to whitelist the phone number I've been using with my account: it's because it's believed that it was being blocked by the provider. The number here is one I had setup for business reasons via TextFree, so I contacted them about it and they told me there was no issue on their end. Is Uber screwing with at this point? But, I went and switched the number on my account to my personal one, thinking that the business number is being assumed to be a VoIP, which is not allowed with some services. I finally get the code needed to finalize debit card changes to my Pro Card account.

Now this next story really interfered with my job significantly. I've been doing rideshare look normal, steady with a consistent schedule I setup for myself. The one thing that annoys me is that I have to verify my facial identity every once in a while. I mean, you know what I look like. Nothing too drastic has changed about me. So, why do I gotta go through this as I begin the job at a desired time? One day, I randomly go into the trip preferences menu to see it go from this:

To this:

Note: the Uber Eats food delivery preference is suppose to be there, but I didn't take a screenshot before it disappeared.

Of course, I had to talk to an agent. But this was more aggravating. I tried my damnedest to explain this issue. The agent, however, couldn't seem to figure out what I mean. Did they not have any job training? Once that was sorted, the agent said things like "This should be the type of experience for you to have" or "We understand your concern". Do ya, really? Because you should've went deeper into it by now. Continuing with this chat, guess what they told me then: the same solution from the Pro Card "troubleshoot", but that didn't work because THE APP IS NOT THE FUCKING PROBLEM! I disconnected and got in contact with a different agent. This bullshit repeated, but I got a whole new response. I got confirmation of my eligibility to have these preferences, including UberXL, and it was still approved. They also actually spent the time to look into it for a few minutes, although it was longer than. The problem involved the inspection of the vehicle I have registered. They wanted me to show an image of a newly documented inspection, but I don't have to worry about it for another 6 months. In my state at least, (I'm from the USA) I have to perform an annual inspection for legal validity of driving the vehicle, and it's $100. Doing this every 6 months makes no sense and it feels like it'll lead to an endless money pit, as a certain mechanic would say.

After that was sorted, I went back to doing the job like normal, only for it to happen again the next week. Starting to feel like Uber has a grudge against me. I go back to dealing with the same ol' crap more frustrated than ever, even angry, and get an unexpected response: I'm not eligible to perform UberXL rides. Well, isn't this the most inept thing to happen here? I drive a minivan, goddammit. What do you mean I'm not eligible? I just disconnected and almost didn't bother to reach another agent. But, I'm managed to collect myself and get it sorted out like last time. I'm certain this will happen again however.

On the Lyft side of things, the same issue with support, except this is about emblems. Speaking of those emblems, the adhesive is weak sauce. So, I needed new ones. You can order new ones from the site or app with the push of a button. It's suppose to arrive within week, but didn't as that time range passed. I had to contact an agent, but it was hard to do it on the app because for some reason, they have too high of expectations that problems are solved with FAQs. But this is a troubleshooting issue; there's no way they can believe things can work fine that easily all the time. I had to go to the site to get help, and they responded by arranging a new order, which did arrive. Thing is, I've had this problem since I first signed up. I didn't even get my training kit with the cool pink mustache. After those emblems wear out too soon, I had to order another pair. Here's me thinking "Maybe they sorted out that issue with the delivery". But something even worse happened:

And as of the date of this blog post, it's still like this. Why? I even contacted them with this screenshot and they just gave me an automated message saying they'll just reship the emblems. This shouldn't have to be the only way to obtain new emblems beside the Express Hubs, which is too far from where I live. And they didn't arrive this time. If I contact them about any other problem, it'll just be the same type of response instead of troubleshooting.

Now, I don't know too much about the experience with support for riders since I've not used rideshare often. But I'm sure there's similar issues. The fact that this is the type of support we receive is unacceptable. It's as if they only measure their success financially based on the quantity of users. With the money they make, you'd think they could hire more competent employees for tech support, but they just found some random people with barely any tech skills to speak of and brought them in. There's got to be some kind of union strike or something because we can't keep letting them get away with this.

[ophilosoraptoro]

The End of Freelance? How California's Rules Become America's Rules

[nando161mando]

That is quite nice..

[howandreviews]

My Experience Working at Appen

Appen

Appen, an internationally acclaimed technology services company, has been at the forefront of providing high-quality training data, annotation, and linguistic services since its inception in 1996. The company has emerged as a significant player in the field of data annotation and machine learning services. From personal experience, Appen offers an excellent platform for individuals seeking to work remotely, providing an array of work-from-home jobs. 

Independent Contractor

As an independent contractor, I’ve been involved in numerous projects, ranging from search engine evaluation to micro tasks and voice projects. If you don’t succeed in one project, Appen provides a plethora of options, ensuring that there’s always an opportunity to explore.

The working hours at Appen vary significantly depending on factors like the project you’re working on, your availability, and workload requirements. There might be requirements to work a specific number of hours per week, while at other times, your workload would depend solely on your availability. My projects ranged from 1 to 4 hours, and occasionally, I managed to work up to 8 hours a day when extra work was available. Therefore, the workload can vary extensively depending on the project.

Flexible Work

One of the significant advantages of working with Appen is the flexibility it offers. As a contractor, you have the freedom to set your own schedules and work at your convenience, provided the project requirements and deadlines are met. In my role as a social media evaluator, I had the luxury of starting my work early and finishing by late morning, offering me ample flexibility. However, it’s essential to note that workload and availability requirements can differ based on the project and may change over time.

Appen pays its contractors competitively, with rates varying based on factors like the project, contractor’s location, experience, and skills. According to the company’s website, the hourly rate for some projects ranges from $5 to $30 per hour, while other jobs may pay by task or project. 

The company’s remote jobs are an excellent opportunity for students, stay-at-home parents, retirees, or anyone needing a flexible work schedule that allows them to work from anywhere. However, one must note that consistency of work might not be guaranteed and contracts could be terminated without warning. Therefore, it’s crucial to have a backup plan or side hustles. Despite these caveats, my overall experience working at Appen has been positive, offering a significant learning experience and a considerable degree of flexibility.

Conclusion

Appen offers a valuable platform for individuals seeking flexible, remote work opportunities with a range of projects to choose from. The flexibility extends to both working hours and the freedom to set personal schedules. Although the pay is competitive, the consistency of work can vary and contracts might be terminated without prior notice. Therefore, while Appen presents a significant opportunity, it’s crucial for potential contractors to consider these factors and have backup plans or supplementary income streams in place. 

For a comprehensive understanding of the roles I undertook, as well as an evaluation of their advantages and disadvantages, please visit Lifeafterfiftyish for an in-depth review.

[services-by-liz-blog]

[sidehustlerscentral]

📢 Get Up to $32,220 as a Tax-Free Self-Employed Tax Credit - SETC Refund Check 🏦 90% of self-employed individuals will qualify❗Have you claimed your self employed covid tax credit yet❓99% have not and with only $50 Billion and $44 Million individuals, it's first come first serve.🏃🏼‍♀️💨 IRSplus is your risk-free solution¡! 🤝 Check out this link to see if you qualify risk-free. 🚨 For Self-Employed, 1099, Gig workers & Sole Proprietors 🤝 #HighlyRecommended

[treshadmcfadden]

1099 VA Life: Is It the Dream Job or a Total Hustle? (YOU DECIDE!)

[self-confidenceinfluencer]

Places To Find Remote Jobs

Remote Work From Home or From Anywhere Opportunities to work from home or from anywhere have increased. Job offerings to work online remotely have allowed people to work side hustles for increased income or shift to making money online through remote work part-time and full-time. Work Part-time, Full-time, Freelance or Independent Contractors Working remotely can include gigs, freelance, flex…

[skyemidnightviews]

January 16.2024

So, I've started on an extremely new project for the last few days now. And, while I'm not anywhere close to being done. I've come to a spot where I'm comfortable enough to drip feed my research and what will be coming within the next several days possibly within month or two it will be completely finished.

Have a read if you like!

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Is a SOW legally binding?



Benefits of using a statement of work

They are legally binding and pre-approved by the client, meaning the project is fully supported by all parties. They provide transparency into methods and processes for the project stakeholders. They reduce any confusion that may arise during a project.

__________________________________________________________

I've been doing some research on this to have a better understanding of the services that I want to provide to the Authors/Clients. I don't want any confusion on either end so I'm trying to be as transparent as possible. 

I myself love to read and blog about all things pertaining to books. Whether it be new releases, reviews in general, some publicity like cover reveals or excerpts. However, I don't want to get caught up with some type of legal situation because there was some type of misleading information along the way. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

I’ve consulted websites: Rocket Lawyer and Legal Zoom to make sure that I was following the right path. I have also taken out the time to research the do’s and the don’ts of being a Freelancer. I WILL NOT HARASS YOU. I HAVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE/ DENY SERVICE & SO DO YOU. 

_______________________________________________________________

So, having that said, I am in the process of creating a SOW for the services that I want to provide to Authors that would be interested. I'm very new at running my own thing and I want to share this food for thought.

It will be ME and only ME running everything (freelance) 

I can not accept things at the last minute -I'm giving each project the time length of a month. - Some may be finished before a month some may take longer than a month to do (that will be discussed in the SOW contract) 

I can't promise that my work will be the most impressive there is out there but I can promise that : I will give my undivided attention to your book. I will do my best to converse with you, the author, to let you know if I'm unable to finish the book or if I don't think the book would be a good fit for my blog. 

_________________________________________________________________________

Now, I'm going to talk a little bit about what I will and will not share on my blog. And, I will inform you that I do operate several different blogs that are in different stages right now. My main blog is: rusticbooktravels.home.blog  and on there you can click on my Review Policy so you can see what I read and what I don't read. At one point I was trying just about every genre to see how it went, so that is why my list is so long. PLEASE read through that before sending me any type of inquiry for services. Upfront however I will say and this is as respectful as Im going to be about it.   DO NOT ON ANY CIRCUMSTANCES REQUEST THAT I READ BDSM, SMUT, or ROMANCE ( I only accept Romantic Suspense) DO NOT ON ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BULLY OR HARASS me into working on your book. I WILL NOT REPLY. IF at any point you become overbearing I will end services. 

__________________________________________________________________________

I don't want to sound mean and hateful. I don't want to give off any sort of bad vibes or bad juju. I just want to be straightforward with everything. And, as I said, this is all new to me. And, well, we all have to start somewhere don't we? If you're willing to join me on this journey I'd be more than happy to work with you. Even if you're just rooting for me from the sidelines. Any and all support is very much appreciated. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. I'm sure there will be more updates to come!

Also, I don't know how many followers I have on here. I don't know if there are any authors on here or not but I would love to hear from like minded people.

If you want. You can hop over to > rusticbooktravels.home.blog

That's my main blog and you'll be able to click on the page titled - Literary Adventures to find out more. And again, please note this is a brand new project for me so I'm just now getting everything situated

[bitchesgetriches]

NEW POST! ✨ “Independent Contractor” My Ass: How to Stop Wage Theft Through Worker Misclassification ✨ Link in bio 👆 and in the comments 👇 babies. Here’s an excerpt:

"Every year, wage theft robs millions of American workers of billions of dollars—and worker misclassification is one of its most widespread, evil forms.

There are crystal-clear guidelines on the difference between independent contractors and employees. And a lot of employers steal from their workers by ignoring them. Today, I’m going to break the differences down for you. See if you recognize yourself, a friend, or a family member in these wage-theft-vulnerable positions.

If you are in a misclassification situation, your employer has stolen your wages. But there’s good news! You have recourse to get my two favorite things: money and justice! You can seek tax reimbursements, backpay, unpaid overtime, worker’s compensation benefits, and more for the years you were misclassified. And you can report your exploitative employer and get them into a wet mess of trouble."

Read the full article

[hislop3]

Final Independent Contractor Rule: Implications for Health Care

This morning, the Department of Labor issued a final rule interpreting who is and who is not, an independent contractor v. an employee. Contract work in health care has boomed since the pandemic, though even pre-pandemic, the use of contractors (physicians, nurses, therapists, etc.) was on the increase. The final rule is available here: 2024-00067 The new rule makes it harder for companies to…

[cindersquire]

It may be my first time doing sex work, but it's not the first time I'm selling my body to be abused.

[lovelyreviews1]

Glen Coco| Remote work

If anyone is looking for some extra cash this holiday or just any kind of work, join Glen Coco, a place where you can call up and schedule meetings with other businesses.

You get a list of numbers and names and a brief summary of the company that way you know who it is and what they are.

There is also a phone dial on glen coco where you can call out to the clients and try to set up meetings so that the closer and discuss the product more.

 There are mock up scripts and pitches that were successful that you can use to tailor your sales pitch. If they do not answer, there is a call back they can do and it only goes to you and no one else until a certain amount of days has passed. This is perfect for those that have experience with b2b in the sales industry or those who are wanting to get into it.

[remunance02]

[theknowlegal]

Discover the ABC Test for Independent Contractors -

Learn what the ABC Test is, how it determines employment status, and its impact on businesses and workers.

Stay informed and make better decisions with our informative guide!