Search This Blog

Friday, November 24, 2017

Employees vs. Independent Contractors - 1099s and 401(k)s, (and Bonuses, Too) in the Land of the Ozarks

So, courtesy of Netflix (where the heck is more Black Mirror?!?), it turns out that Ozark's pretty good.  Definite Breaking Bad vibe, but maybe just a bit more clean and Hollywood.  In Episode 2, while watching a pregnant "dancing" girl (geeeez), we hear the following -

****
Jason Bateman's Marty Byrde: I think that a, a higher caliber dancer would definitely translate into a higher-paying customer.  And is there any reason that you can't have beautiful women work here? - I don't think so.

Adam Boyer's Bobby Dean: Beautiful girls won't work here.  I won't let 'em.  Plain Jane's with a work ethic - that's my sweet spot right there. . . .  See I own the stage.  They pay me to climb up on it, plus 25% of their tips‎.   Ain't no payroll; all 1099s‎; independent contractors.  No health insurance, vacation time, 401(k)s, Social Security, sick leave.  And no liability.  But I want my 25%, read me?
****

A nice little primer on the withholding- and benefits-based distinctions between employees and independent contractors, no? 

Later, in Episode 6, Marty's wife, in asking the real-estate guy for whom she performs services for some additional compensation, engages in the following exchange -

****
Laura Linney's Wendy Bryde: Since I've been working with you, you've been able to increase your commission from five to seven percent.  Now I did some math and you've been able to have an additional earnings of $192,000‎.  I think it's only fair that I should request a bonus, beyond my hourly that will align‎ my total compensation with my value.

Sharon Blackwood's Eugenia Dermody: Wha -

Kevin L. Johnson's Sam Dermody: What're we talkin'?

Wendy: Half your increase in income.

Eugenia: Half?

Wendy: Oh, and y'know if you don't agree I thank you for everything and, y'know, I'll just go, go right over to Lakeville Reality.  I'll see what they can offer me.

Sam: Unh, Mom - OK - I'll give you ten thousand‎.

Wendy: Forty - that coupled with my salary will be a little less than a third of your additional profits, give or take.

Eugenia: Take.
****

They settle for a little less.  Methinks that someone on the writing staff knows something about compensation (see also that same surmise regarding Better Call Saul).

Never know what you'll learn from these shows . . .

No comments: