Employee or Contractor Advice

Not understanding the difference between an employee and a contractor, or treating contractors as employees, can have serious consequences for your business. This is because you have different legal obligations to employees and contractors. It is a complex area, so it is best to get legal advice on whether you are treating your workers appropriately.

There are a number of factors that affect whether someone is classified as an employee or a contractor. These include the degree of control exercised by the employer over the hours worked and how the work is performed, the expectation of ongoing work, whether you provide tools or equipment, the method of payment, and leave entitlements.

This is often not a straightforward area to navigate, so we recommend having a lawyer review your particular circumstances to make sure you are meeting your obligations.

As part of this package, our lawyers will review your situation and advise on whether you are treating your employees and contractors appropriately under the law. They can also give you practical guidance on getting this distinction right and what to do if you are concerned you may not be compliant.

Submit an enquiry through this page or click the ‘get started’ button on our website. After you submit your enquiry, one of our legal consultants will review it within 1 business day and get in touch to better understand what you are looking for.

Your legal consultant will then send you an email with more information about the services you need, along with a fixed-fee quote setting out the costs, scope of the service, and timing. If you are happy with the scope, you can accept and sign our engagement letter online.

Once you have formally accepted, we will connect you with a specialist lawyer who will work with you to complete your project. They will contact you by email or phone if needed.

Our legal team is made up of experienced commercial lawyers with strong backgrounds in contracts, privacy, employment, intellectual property, corporate and general business law. For Sprintlaw NZ, legal services are provided by Australian- and UK-qualified lawyers who are familiar with the New Zealand legal requirements relevant to the business matters we support.