Many health care professionals use the “independent contractor” classification as a hammer against naive new associates. I’m surprised that more aren’t in trouble.

Having worked as an independent contractor for many years, I’ve been consistently surprised at the ignorance of lawyers I’ve worked for about what’s an independent contractor under the IRS guidelines. When I told one partner she could keep the office open whichever hours she chose, but couldn’t dictate the hours I worked, I thought she’d bust a gut.

And then there’s the problem of how long one can be an independent contractor for the same firm that seems to go under the radar. A decision against Microsoft which was stringing along “consultants” working side-by-side (or cubicle-by-cubicle) with regular employees set it at four to five years.