2 weeks ago, I landed a part-time job at this small, private after-school company for kids. It is only a 6-9 hours a week gig for $12/hour. I live in the Los Angeles, California area.
Red flag 1: On day 2, I realized my boss didn't give me any of the typical paperwork. So I confronted her and asked her for the I-9 and W-2. She said she would give it to me at the end of my shift, but when that time came she said she couldn't find it and said she would give it to me my next shift.
Red flag 2: After that, she asked if I would just prefer to be paid in cash because "it's easier for me and for her," and that's what she does for other student workers. I'm not dumb and understand that is considered working under the table, so I declined and insisted that I would prefer to be on payroll for taxing purposes. She agrees and says okay.
My next shift comes, and I ask for it again. She spends 15 minutes hunting for it and printing it. I'm already a bit suspicious, but she comes through and gives me the forms. I fill them out and bring them my next shift, and she takes them.
Red Flag 3: Pay day is on the 30th of the month, so I pick up my check after my shift on the 2nd. At the end of my shift, she brings me to another room and passes me a personal check of ~$200 with the company name on it. I ask what happened since I was expecting a pay stub, and she said that she wants me to fill out a 109-9. I did some snooping on reddit and know that's for independent contractors. She said I am not an employee because I "choose my own hours as a student." But I don't. I listed my availability for when I'm not in school (like any other job), and told me the time that work for my given schedule is on Tuesday, Thursday at 3pm, Saturday at 1pm. She also gives me directions on what the kids need to be working on and dictates the schedule for the day. So in essence I am an employee. I was surprised, flustered, and not sure about what to do. I accepted the check, but have not cashed it out because I don't know how to go about reporting it on my tax return since she didn't deduct SS or Medicare.
I plan on quitting today under the notion that I found another job that pays higher and is more convenient (I am in the final steps of interviewing for that job technically, but I just really want out of this place) and that I will work my shift today since I'm not putting in 2 weeks and didn't give a heads up on quitting. I just don't want things to get complicated legally or tell her my discomfort about her essentially tax evading.
Any advice on my situation and what to do today and with the personal check would be greatly appreciated! (I'm 22 and a college student).
tldr; My boss led me to believe I was being hired as an employee, gave me a personal check, then told me I was an independent contractor. Not sure what to do with my check, how to file it, or the best way to go about quitting.
Submitted October 04, 2018 at 11:18AM by phoenyxt https://ift.tt/2DVP3fZ
