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> The therapists on better help: choose their own hours, can choose not to work with certain clients, can choose what type of therapy to use, etc. Employees ca
by varispeed 4y ago
> The therapists on better help: choose their own hours, can choose not to work with certain clients, can choose what type of therapy to use, etc.
Employees can do that too.
> the level of control is the defining feature of employee vs contractor.
Not really. The most defining factor is substitution, but that is not always true. For instance if a contractor has never even looked how they could provide a substitute, then most likely they are only a "contractor" on paper.
- bawolff 4y agoJust because someone can be an employee doesn't mean it is an abuse for them to be a contractor. There is some overlap where either status fits.
- varispeed 4y agoBut in that case this is exploitation, because people who are de-facto employees don't get the same rights as employees. You could only advocate for this if you had a vested interest in a big corporation using such a loophole. Otherwise, e.g. is supermarket a platform that gives independent contractors the ability to work on the tills or stack shelves etc? The only difference here is that the "platform" is on the internet.
- bawolff 4y ago> Otherwise, e.g. is supermarket a platform that gives independent contractors the ability to work on the tills or stack shelves etc? In this metaphor, i think the independent contractor would be the person who provides the produce. Which is how grocery stores generally work. (I.e. betterhelp sells therapy services, grocery stores sell groceries. The person working the till at the grocery store is more akin to the person working in the customer service dept at better help, not the person who provides the item for sale) Professional people being independent contractors is hardly a new thing. Lawyers are usually hired as independent contractors. Its not like they are being taken advantage of.