You see a job ad for a gig you could do from home.
It says youll work with customers of household name brands like Chanel and Nordstrom.
you’re able to work in your pajamas, even.
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Sounds great, right?
The hiring company isnt Chanel or Nordstrom.
Instead, its a third-party business that handles those name brands customer service.
The position might be full time, but you wont get benefits since youll be considered an independent contractor.
Because youre your own boss!
Remote positions like these are becoming more common even with legitimate employers.
These gig workers arent eligible for typical benefits, either.
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
The pandemic, if anything, is really bringing this to the forefront, she said.
Heres what you should keep in mind when hunting for remote work.
More than that, be sure to confirm that the job listing was posted by the hiring company.
Avoiding scams should be your first step.
If all else fails, confirm with the company directly.
Theres no shame in calling the company.
Research the company online, find their direct dial and call HR, said Ravenelle.
Here are some trending hiring practices you should be skeptical of.
Bring Your Own Office
Specific office equipment requirements are common for remote employers.
Some companies have modest policies such as requiring you to have a Windows-based computer and high-speed internet.
Other companies are more demanding.
Offloading all those costs onto you should be a red flag.
Mind how those expenses add up, especially if you havent received a job offer in writing yet.
For example, you may have the potential to earn $15 an hour.
That figure is calculated based on how many minutes of phone-time you log.
So, really, youre earning 25 cents per minute.
In many cases, paying anything to a company is a clear hallmark of a scam.
But in some instances, a real company may ask you to pay for your own background check.
Thats an expense of employment that the company should be paying, Ravenelle said.
Companies do this by convincing their workforce that theyre business owners.
That monthly software fee deducted from your paycheck?
Thats a cost of doing business.
In the case of Etsy, youre physically making a product for sale.
On Upwork, you get to choose your clients and offer projects and services at an agreed-upon price.
Not the other way around.
Freelancing, for example, is a common form of 1099 work.
Things get tricky when the line between independent contractors and employees gets blurred.
According to theIRS, such stipulations mean the worker should be considered a W-2 employee.
Misclassifying workers as independent contractors is illegal.
Being [misclassified as] an independent contractor means that you are outside generations of hard-won workplace protections.
In short, being classified as an independent contractor makes you cheaper to hire and easier to fire.
Adam Hardy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
He covers the gig economy, entrepreneurship and unique ways to make money.
Read his latest articles here, or say hi on Twitter@hardyjournalism.
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…
