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Are Physicians, Doctors, Dentists, Psychiatrists or Therapists Independent Contractors or Employees in a Private Practice?
Misclassification of workers in the healthcare field is a hot issue and it is an area where many practices make a misstep leading to potential exposure involving the Department of Labor (DOL). Many practices treat physicians, doctors, dentists, therapists or similar professionals as independent contractors instead of as employees. The New York State DOL can investigate your practice’s workforce classifications. Depending on the circumstances this can raise some legal concerns. The New York Court of Appeals decision, In Re Concourse Ophthalmology Associates P.C., 469 N.Y.S.2d 78 (1983) discusses the proper employment status for multiple ophthalmologists working in a professional corporation. The court issued the following test for medical providers in determining whether an employee-employer relationship exists for purposes of the Unemployment Insurance Law:
In general, the more control that a practice exerts over the work environment it is more likely to lead to a finding of an employer-employee relationship. It is important to get legal counsel from the beginning of the working relationship with a professional so a misclassification error is not made. If a misclassification error is made, a practice can face, among other things, unpaid taxes, penalties, fines and be subject to further government investigation. It can also be subject to a lawsuit by the workers for misclassification. Proactive steps are critical and can save a practice a lot of money and heartache. Contact our Award Winning NY Employment Law Attorney for a confidential consultation on your specific situation.
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Disclaimer: Thank you for visiting our Blog. This blog provides general information and thoughts about various employment law issues primarily in the New York Tri-State area and occasionally in other areas. You are welcome to read the posts. However, do not construe any content on this blog as legal advice or the creation of an attorney-client relationship. Again, we provide the content only for informational purposes. You should not make decisions based information on our blog since the application of the law depends on the facts and each situation may be different. In addition, the law in most jurisdictions is different and changes constantly and we make no representations that any information on our blog has been updated. The Blog should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from an experienced attorney in your state or jurisdiction. From time to time, a blog post may discuss a legal case – please note that the post may not contain the most to update information on the case as developments may have occurred after it was created.