Independent Contractors: Issues, Practices, and Steps to Successfully and Legally Staff Your Company
  • CODE : MELV-0010
  • Duration : 60 Minutes
  • Refer a Friend
  • Download Catalog

Melveen Stevenson is the CEO and founder of M.S.Elemental, LLC, a human resources and business advisory firm based in Los Angeles, California. As a certified HR professional with a background in accounting and finance, she helps companies to navigate the human resources “jungle” of compliance, human capital, and leadership challenges. By using an encompassing business approach, she helps to strengthen the infrastructure of organizations from the inside out, specifically through leadership development, operations, training, employee engagement, and career coaching.
Over the last 17 years, Melveen has held leadership positions in human resources operations, supply chain, and talent management at international companies in food manufacturing, medical devices, and consumer products. She has also worked internationally.

Melveen began her career in accounting and international banking. With an inspired desire to support and drive organizational success through human capital, she redirected her career and obtained her MBA at Michigan State University’s Eli Broad Graduate School of Management.


This webinar has been approved for 1.00 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR™, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™, and SPHRi™recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®). Please make note of the activity ID number on your recertification application form. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HR Certification Institute website at www.hrci.org.

For any further assistance please contact us at support@grceducators.com


Companies meet their staffing needs by using a variety of arrangements. Besides the hiring of traditional employees, employers can use contingent employees such as temporary employees, seasonal employees, and leased workers hired through temporary staffing agencies. A growing number of companies are leveraging independent contractors, especially because a larger percentage of the workforce is preferencing "gig” or temporary work without being hired as a traditional, regular employee.

While the decision to hire an independent contractor may seem like a “no-brainer,” the wrong decision can result in extensive costs to the company. Join us in this session to learn how to hire independent contractors successfully and legally by understanding practical matters, legal issues, and proactive steps.

Areas Covered

  • Clarify the definition of an independent contractor
  • Explain obligations for employers in determining the classification of a worker as an independent contractor
  • Enumerate practical tests to determine independent contractor status under various governmental agencies and states including Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, state laws, and workers’ compensation
  • Identify legal, tax, and other serious consequences for misclassification of independent contractors
  • Define situations when an independent contractor may be appropriate for your business needs
  • Explain proactive steps to ensure the proper and effective use of independent contractors

Course Level - Basic/Intermediate

Who Should Attend    

  • HR professionals, all levels
  • Leaders, Managers, and Supervisors
  • Project Managers
  • Payroll Specialists – managers, supervisors, and administrators
  • Small- and medium-sized business owners

Why Should You Attend

If you’re thinking about bringing hiring an independent contractor for your team or organization, you need to first understand the obligations that you as the employer must fulfill before that person starts any work. If you already have independent contractors working for your company, then now is the time to reassess their proper classification as contingent workers.

Misclassifying a worker as an independent contractor instead of an employee can mean tax, workers’ compensation, wage and hour, and several other costs and possible penalties. In some jurisdictions, the status of proper classification and costs does not start in the present time but is actually applied retroactively.

This training session will explain not only employer obligations but also how to make the best decision so that you stay within the bounds of the myriad of laws and regulations that exist on this topic. It will also provide you with the information you need to reassess any independent contractors that you currently use in your organization.

Topic Background

In today’s dynamic business environment, employers are finding it increasingly difficult to fill roles to fulfill ongoing business requirements, to tackle important projects, and to grow profitably and efficiently. To add complexity to their situation is the fact that unemployment in the U.S. is at its lowest in almost forty years. As well, the “gig economy” is thriving with workers frequently preferencing short-term work over becoming traditional employees.

For employers, it would seem like a practical and mutually beneficial arrangement to simply bring on independent contractors to meet business demands while mitigating recruiting and hiring obstacles. However, it’s not as simple as the “win-win” outcome would suggest. Indeed, increased regulations enacted by recent state laws as well as existing rules and definitions enumerated by various governmental agencies present an often confusing and multi-layered analysis before an employer can make the best decision for its needs.

  • $200.00



Recorded / Download Access


contact us for your queries :

713-401-9995

support at grceducators.com



  • Contact
  • Membership
  • Subscribe
  • Secure Payment