Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 12 OCTOBER 2017

Texas Employers' Guide To Classifying Workers

Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP
Explore more from Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP

Employers can hire two types of workers – employees and independent contractors – and there are serious consequences to misclassifying workers as independent contractors when they are actually employees.

United StatesEmployment and HR
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP
Author LinkedIn connections

What is the difference between independent contractors and employees?

Employers can hire two types of workers – employees and independent contractors – and there are serious consequences to misclassifying workers as independent contractors when they are actually employees.

Generally, you must withhold income taxes, withhold and pay Social Security and Medicare taxes, and pay unemployment tax on wages paid to employees. You do not generally have to withhold or pay any taxes on payments to independent contractors.

Employees also enjoy many workplace protections to which independent contractors generally are not entitled, including coverage under wage and hour laws (such as minimum wage and overtime), workers' compensation coverage, and protection against discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

Treasury Issues Temporary Regulations On Trump Accounts And Contributions

The U.S. Department of the Treasury and IRS recently issued temporary regulations that provide an immediately effective framework for establishing and administering “Trump Accounts,” including broad automatic enrollment and large-scale contributions funded by governmental and charitable donors. The regulations became effective September 30, 2026, apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and expire September 30, 2029.
United StatesEmployment and HR
Fennemore Craig, P.C.
Fennemore Craig, P.C.
Article

California Passes AB-1883 Targeting AI Workplace Surveillance Of Employees’ Emotional State And Neural Data

On Aug. 30, AB-1883 received final legislative approval and now heads to California Governor Gavin Newsom for signature or veto. If enacted, AB-1883 would prohibit employers from using workplace surveillance tools that rely on artificial intelligence (AI) to recognize, infer, or predict an employee’s emotional state, or to collect “neural data.”
United StatesEmployment and HR
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Barnes & Thornburg LLP
Article

2026 Changes To FLSA Overtime Exemption Rules: What Employers Should Know About Revised Salary Requirements

Federal overtime exemption rules have shifted back to 2019 standards following court challenges to the Department of Labor's 2024 salary threshold increases. Understanding how these revised requirements affect executive, administrative, professional, and highly compensated employee classifications is critical for maintaining wage-hour compliance.
United StatesEmployment and HR
Genova Burns
Genova Burns
Article

Recent Developments In Mobley v. Workday: California Court Allows Key AI-Hiring Bias Claims To Move Forward

On June 22, 2026, in Mobley v. Workday, Inc., U.S. District Judge Rita Lin largely denied Workday’s motion to dismiss the plaintiffs’ Third Amended Complaint, including rejecting the company’s argument that California’s anti-discrimination laws do not apply to its screening of applicants outside California who are applying for jobs in other states or countries.
United StatesEmployment and HR
Reavis Page Jump LLP
Reavis Page Jump LLP
Article

DOL Announces New Enforcement Policy For Mental Health Parity Nonquantitative Treatment Limitation Requirements

The US Department of Labor has issued new guidance establishing a streamlined framework for enforcing mental health parity requirements under MHPAEA, focusing enforcement on three priority areas while maintaining nonenforcement of controversial 2024 rule provisions. This guidance aims to reduce compliance burdens on plan sponsors while ensuring participants maintain access to mental health and substance use disorder benefits comparable to medical and surgical coverage.
United StatesEmployment and HR
Mayer Brown
Mayer Brown