Check whether your contractor setup could be treated as employment

This service is usually a good fit if you engage contractors regularly, have long-running contractor relationships, or are unsure whether the practical setup matches the contract wording. It is particularly useful where contractors work closely with your team, use your systems, follow set processes, or perform work similar to employees. The review is aimed at businesses wanting a broader risk assessment, not just a quick read of one agreement. If you need representation in an active dispute, that would usually be separate work.

We look at both the written documents and the real-world arrangement. That can include the contractor agreement, payment structure, control over hours or methods, exclusivity, integration into your business, use of equipment, and whether the contractor is operating an independent business in substance. A key risk point is that the factual working arrangement can matter as much as the contract wording. You will receive a written summary identifying where the arrangement appears stronger, where it may be vulnerable, and what practical changes may be worth considering.

A contractor agreement helps, but it is not the whole answer. If the day-to-day relationship looks more like employment, the written label may carry less weight than businesses expect. For example, issues can arise where a worker is tightly controlled, works only for one business, is embedded in internal processes, or has little real independence. That is why this review considers the documents and the factual context together. The aim is to give you a clearer legal framework for the issue, with final risk settings depending on your operating model and follow-through.

The consequences can be significant. A business may face claims about employment status, payment entitlements, leave, or other workplace obligations, and the issue can become more complicated if several workers are engaged on a similar model. Risk often increases where the same arrangement has been used for convenience over time without checking whether the practical setup still matches the contract. This review is intended to identify those pressure points early, explain where the exposure may sit, and outline legal and operational changes that may improve the position.

If we identify higher-risk features, we will explain what is driving that risk and what options may be available. Depending on the situation, that might involve changing the agreement terms, adjusting the way the relationship operates in practice, or reconsidering whether a contractor model is appropriate for that role. The written summary is intended to help you prioritise the next step rather than leave you with a list of issues only. If you want help implementing changes after the review, that can be arranged under a separate scope.

Submit an enquiry on this page or click 'Get started'. One of our legal consultants will review it within 1 business day and get in touch to understand what you need.

Your consultant will then email you a fixed-fee quote setting out the cost, scope and timing. If you're happy with it, you can accept the quote and sign our engagement letter online.

Once you've accepted, one of our Australian-qualified lawyers will work with you to complete your project. They'll contact you by email or phone if they need anything.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Sham Contracting Review service, pricing starts from $900.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We work online, so we can help wherever you are in New Zealand. Our team works remotely, mainly from Australia.

Your work is done by our Australian-qualified lawyers, who hold Australian practising certificates and specialise in business law. None of them are New Zealand lawyers or hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

Sprintlaw NZ Limited is a legal consultancy, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the New Zealand Law Society. We don't act in court or tribunal matters, conveyancing (including leases and business sales) or other reserved areas of work. Communications with Sprintlaw are unlikely to be protected by legal professional privilege. We still keep everything confidential under our engagement letter.