Independent contractor or not?????

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I work for a company that covers many different states but I work in Florida. I am known as a "independent contractor" with this company and I carry my own malpractice insurance. I have recently done some reading about what a "true" meaning of independent contractor details and it doesn't seem to fit my companies meaning so I was just wondering if I'm missing something here. My company hires staff and sets their pay grade, they make you sign a patient contract for each patient, they assign you your patients (you can decline), they set your hours, my boss calls meetings (not very often), and you must answer to her for everything from aide complaints, doctor appointment mix ups, let her aware of med changes.... and several other things. Is this really independent contracting????

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"Independent contracting" can be anything the employer and the contracted person say it is and agree to. You signed their agreement, right? You pay your own taxes; they give you a 1099?

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Working as an independent contractor or 1099 absolutely has rules and it doesn't sound as if your position qualifies although the truth of the matter is most 1099 positions don't actually qualify if strictly going by IRS guidelines. For me the biggest caveat for those of us considering this type of employment is the knowledge that you will be paying the full boat on FICA/Unemployment tax so imvho that means I make that amount more right out of the gate. Never ceases to amaze me at the number of people who sign on the dotted line and don't understand the implications to their bottom line.

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I know this sounds really stupid of me but my "boss" never gave me time to read the whole 75 page contract, she actually gave it to me 8 months after my start of seeing the patient, she was in a hurry because survey was coming and we actually did it in a Wendy's parking lot. And as a matter of fact I have yet signed or even been offered to sign a patient contract for 3 of my patients I care for now. I'm just confused because my "boss" has been on my a$& for about a month now and calls me into the office "mandatory" only because she did something wrong and I know about it and if the owner finds out she could be sued. So do I really have to go to these "bit@/" sessions for her to yell at me for false accusations (something) she made up to try to get me out of the company to save her butt?????

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Sounds like you are aware that not having a contract and then attempting to back pedal later isn't a good thing. Chalk it up to a learning experience. :) I'm doubting your boss would be the only one who would be in a legal hot spot if this gets ugly so I'd decide if I wanted to continue working for them or not and if not quit. I'd strongly recommend against opening up a can of worms and instead go quietly into the night if its time to part ways.

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