I am at my wits end and can't seem to track down any useful information. Although I found a thread on this site that was years old that seemed somewhat helpful. Please help!
I am working for a company. I was "Hired" as a "contractor". I responded to a help wanted ad, was trained to follow their policies and to do the job that they had created and was given a title at this company. After a few months I was invited to be hired as an employee and moved from working at home to working in the office. My job essentially didn't change at all, I just did it in an office they owned instead of from my house. Then after a month or two, they decided that they were closing the office and that I had to go back to working as a "contractor" (ie from home with no rights).
I do not work for any other company and I am completely dependent on this company for income. I have been working with them since May 2010. I have been given a "promotion" and have people working under me, but they are people that were hired by the company, not by me. I am made to follow their codes and do not negotiate each contract. They simply send me work with no negotiation.
I am in a pickle because I have been made to sign a contact which basically says they will pay me whenever. I am generally given no indication of when I am going to be paid, although they try to pay every two weeks. THe week before last I was supposed to get a pay cheque, was told that I would instead get it by friday. On friday they still did not have a cheque for me. Although it is there now.
It is increasingly difficult to budget, and as I am the sole earner in my household this is causing me great stress, however I feel like I don't have any rights to wave in front of them. I really like the job, but this is starting to stress me out beyond a reasonable level.
But am I really and independent contractor? Would I be a dependent contractor? I suppose these are important things to know for tax purposes as well, but truth be told, I was thrown into this job, I didn't have an independent business before they hired me and really don't know anything about all the legalities.
I feel that to a certain extent they are attempting to cover their asses by having us as contractors, since they are a relatively small business and might not have a lot of money and they are less accountable to us this way.