Worker's Comp for 8hr/month cleaner.

Hi folks. Currently, my 11-unit co-op has a woman come in every week for 2 hours to clean the common areas and stairwells. She works in other buildings, so she is not solely our “employee”. I’ve inherited the role of Treasurer, and currently we pay NYSIF (worker’s compensation insurance) for her AND the officers of my co-op, even though we are not paid. Premium is calculated on the basis of a minimum salary of the officers…so it’s pretty much a racket. We are self-governed co-op “for profit”. Do I need this policy? The cleaning woman is essentially a contractor, the officers are in name only (not an actual job, part-time or otherwise). A person in the building also handles the trash/recycling – am I to believe this would also qualify for worker’s comp? The building has general liability insurance…so right don’t see the point. We have no employees. Any other co-op people deal with this? Thanks.

al_fredo

in Insurance 8 years and 8 months ago

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thetinkerswagon | 8 years and 8 months ago

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is a cleaner working for the corporation in the common areas of the building a domestic worker? as opposed to a cleaner working inside a unit cleaning the bathroom for a unit owner?

slopefarm | 8 years and 8 months ago

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Also, why are you paying workers comp for unpaid officers? D&O liability coverage might make sense, but that is entirely different.

slopefarm | 8 years and 8 months ago

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These are not my areas of law (tax, employment, workers comp etc), but you folks are conflating issues a bit. It looks like bored is right about workers comp. Here is the link to the NYS site discussing domestic workers. http://www.wcb.ny.gov/content/main/onthejob/CoverageSituations/domesticWorkers.jsp Whether workers comp is required is a different issue from whether the domestic worker is an employee or independent contractor. Whether a person is an employee is governed by whether sufficient indicia of an employment relationship are present, not what the parties agree to. Look, for example, at today’s coverage on the Uber class action. See also https://www.care.com/homepay/nanny-tax-guide The employer vs independent contractor question has implications outside workers comp, such as FICA, income tax withholding etc. Issues concern factors bearing on who controls work, terms of firing/termination etc.

boredatwork | 8 years and 8 months ago

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@ Arkady @thetinkerswagon @resident2 The law says if a domestic (not my word, its in the law) works less than 40 hours per week, then you are not required to provide worker’s compensation insurance. The law as it relates to independent contractors is complicated and you ignore at your peril. If you are found to have been required to have it and don’t, you may be liable for the lost wages and penalties. @ al_fredo Seems like you need a new broker and to get some better advice

thetinkerswagon | 8 years and 8 months ago

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the laws are written specifically to provide for low level employees who may be coerced into giving up rights.

thetinkerswagon | 8 years and 8 months ago

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the cleaner would not be classed as an independent contractor. even if they say they are or you say they are, they will not be classed as independent. the cleaner can not be made to waive their rights by signing anything. that document would be irrelevant if something went wrong.

resident2 | 8 years and 8 months ago

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Your cleaning person and super are independent contractors. You have them sign an independent contractor agreement/contract. But you will have to pay them more than minimum wage! And you cannot pay them by the hour. You do not need workers comp etc for officers of the co-op if they are owners.

Arkady | 8 years and 8 months ago

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baw – Isn’t it the same as being a free-lance anything? Independent & responsible for one’s own?

boredatwork | 8 years and 8 months ago

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@ Arkady You cannot waive your rights to worker’s comp. If she is an employee of the coop, you have to pay comp insurance and her taxes, too. If she works for a third party who provides the services to the co-op, the third party is the employer and responsible for the insurance (most likely). Not sure why you need comp insurance for the officers of the co-op if you have director’s and officers liability insurance. Your broker for the D and O policy can probably answer your questions.