W-2 or 1099? 3 Steps to Help You Understand the Difference

Whether you’re adding gig work or freelancing with your “regular” work, finding jobs through a staffing agency, or just getting started on your taxes – it can be confusing to know which employment tax form to complete.

January 28, 2021

Whether you’re adding gig work or freelancing with your “regular” work, finding jobs through a staffing agency, or just getting started on your taxes, it can be confusing to know which employment tax form to complete.

When comparing different forms, a common question asked is “Am I filling out the right one?” While your employer determines this when you first start working with them, it helps to know some of the key differences between a W-2 employee and a 1099-MISC worker.

The easiest differentiator between the two types of workers is whether taxes are withheld. Workers using a 1099-MISC form are considered self-employed independent contractors. Social Security and Medicare taxes are not withheld and 1099-MISC workers are required to pay their own taxes, the “self-employment” or “SE” tax. W-2 employees have a percentage of each paycheck withheld by their employer and a portion of their employment taxes are paid for by the company. (For more information, consult the IRS and read more on their website.)

So what are other differences between 1099-MISC and W-2 employees? PeopleReady shares three key points to keep in mind.

Behavioral Control

Does your boss control what type of work you do, when, and how you do it? If yes, the company has behavioral control, most likely deeming you a W-2 worker. If you work through a staffing agency like PeopleReady, you could be a W-2 employee with the agency. 1099-MISC workers do not have a boss they must report to, but they are required to find their own jobs and clients, create their own contracts, and manage their tax deductions.

Financial Control

Financial control applies to how a worker is paid. In many W-2 scenarios, the employer decides when the worker is paid and for how much. A 1099-MISC independent contractor will define their payment through various contracts dependent on the project and clients they work with.

Relationship with Employer

Do you have set length of time you’ll work for the employer- maybe a few shifts or a set several weeks? Or is your time of employment indefinite, as there are no plans on you leaving? Each of these factors can help determine the type of relationship, whether you’re an employee or independent contractor. Working through a staffing agency can influence this: you may be a W-2 employee through the staffing agency, being connect to jobs for an outside customer or business. You may be a W-2 employee for the agency, since you will work with them for an indefinite period of time. It’s always a good idea to double check with your recruiter or agency representative if you’re not sure of your employment type, or with a finance expert if you have questions about your tax situation.

Ready to make money doing the jobs you want, when you want? Here’s where to start.

Use JobStack to Find Jobs Safely This Winter Season

What does it mean to work with a staffing company that can help you find work safely and feel secure in your job search? See how PeopleReady is committed to your safety with our app, JobStack.

January 26, 2021

What does it mean to work with a staffing company that can help you find work safely and feel secure in your job search? See how PeopleReady is committed to your safety with our app, JobStack.

"Use JobStack for Winter Safety" infographic

Avoid These 4 Common Workplace Injuries

Safety first.

It’s not just a catchphrase, it’s a guiding principle here at PeopleReady—and hopefully, it’s top of mind for you whenever you head out to any job.

January 14, 2021

Safety first.

It’s not just a catchphrase, it’s a guiding principle here at PeopleReady—and hopefully, it’s top of mind for you whenever you head out to any job. After all, every job involves some safety risks, though some more than others. That’s especially true in the warm summer months.

We’re not trying to scare anyone, but we do want to stress the importance of staying alert and exercising caution on a job site. Your safety is always our top concern—and for good reason: There are several injuries that can put you in harm’s way and keep you from working. Obviously, no one wants to get hurt, and no one wants to spend days, weeks, or even months recovering.

To help you keep an eye out for safety hazards, we’ve put together a list of common workplace injuries that keep workers out of commission:

Overexertion

Overexertion might be the first workplace injury to come to mind since it’s usually among the most common. Think of a worker hurting their back moving a heavy box. These injuries happen regularly because they can result from mistakes we all make when we’re fatigued or distracted, like not following the age-old wisdom of lifting with your legs, not your back.

Falls

Workplace falls are typically separated into two categories: falls from heights and falls on the same level. Falls from heights (or between floors) occur when a worker falls from a higher location like scaffolding or a roof. Falls on the same level can occur when you slip or trip over an object. In many cases, the easiest way to prevent falls is just to be alert.

Repetitive Motions

These injuries might sneak up on you because they’re not the result of a big event. They occur after repeatedly performing a small, seemingly innocuous task over and over again. The wear and tear on your muscles builds up over time and eventually you find yourself with an injury or condition (such as carpal tunnel syndrome) from overuse.

Cuts, Punctures or Scrapes

We spend a lot of time stressing the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE), and although you might consider it obvious advice, there’s a reason for it. Common injuries like cuts, punctures, and scrapes are largely preventable if you’re wearing the appropriate gear. These accidents occur when you’re not protected or you don’t have control of an object because you’re not wearing the proper equipment.

Now you know some common workplace injuries. So what are some tips to keep in mind to stay safe when you’re on the job site?

Always wear the appropriate PPE
Pay attention to your surroundings
Report any safety concerns
Don’t perform any task if you don’t feel properly trained or protected
If you experience any injury (even if it seems harmless), report it immediately.

How to Find Jobs Quickly With JobStack

These four easy steps are the best way for job seekers to make the most of JobStack and find jobs quickly and easily.

Remember life before smartphones and apps? Yeah, neither do we. The joke that there’s an app for everything feels like a lifetime ago. Now, there truly does seem like to be an app for everything, ranging from the silly to the essential. There are even apps to help you manage your apps.

Luckily, there are also apps that let you conveniently find work. One example is JobStack, which lets you find on-demand work when and where you want it.

You’re probably wondering, “I already have a lot of apps—why is JobStack worth the coveted space on my home screen?” Simply put: You can find jobs more quickly than ever before just by taking steps you’re already taking. It’s no extra work on your part, but you’ll see great results.

Reggie Davis, a user of JobStack, says, "Jobstack matches me perfectly with jobs that are closer to me and shows us important information about the job that we are going to. In the morning before work, Jobstack will send me an alert to inform me that my job is about to begin and it has a notification letting the staff know I've arrived. I don't have to do anything but accept the job offer and go to work."

Here are 4 ways to use JobStack to speed up your job search:

Apply to PeopleReady
Once you’ve applied to PeopleReady and passed the review process, you’ve got the green light to start using the JobStack app. Why do we do it this way? Because we want to get the screening process out of the way so that you don’t have any delays once you start using the app. The good news is that if you’ve already used PeopleReady to find work, you’re ready to go!
Accept jobs
One of JobStack’s most innovative features is how it learns what jobs are the best match for you. It’s quite simple: The more jobs you accept, the more it understands which gigs you prefer. So over time your JobStack experience is truly unique to you, which means you spend less time browsing through jobs that don’t interest you.
Ace the gig
The app lets employers give feedback on your performance, which factor into your overall rating. Workers with low ratings because they didn’t show up to the job or who didn’t perform won’t receive job offers via JobStack, but workers with positive feedback will have more opportunities come their way. Don’t forget: The app also lets you give feedback on the jobs you take.
Follow your own schedule
The benefit of using an app to find work is that it’s always ready when you need it (and it’s still ready when you don’t need it). And since you don’t need to go into a branch to accept jobs or submit hours, you get to create the schedule that works for you.

Top 4 Apps for Auto Auctions

With so much to see on the lot, speed and efficiency are key for a seamless auto auction experience.

January 2, 2021

With so much to see on the lot, speed and efficiency are key for a seamless auto auction experience. Here are the top 4 apps to help buyers and sellers get the most out of their auto experience, according to PeopleReady.

TradeRev: Can’t make it on auction day? Don’t worry, TradeRev has you covered. Designed as a mobile auction, TradeRev gives sellers the power to launch live, on-hour, real-time auctions from the palm of their hands. The app then gives buyers the ability to purchase vehicles, add transport, and research payment options, creating a complete end to end experience.
Autoniq: Heading to an auction? Use Autoniq to prepare. The app provides pricing guides, market reports, vehicle histories, and a VIN scanner all in one convenient app. The app also shows auction run lists, making it easy for buyers to know which auction to visit.
Evernote: Get ready for auction day by getting organized. Evernote allows users to take and upload notes, pictures, audio and video snippets into notebooks. Keep track of which cars arrive in transport and what run number they are assigned. Evernote allows you to share your notebooks with others, making it easy for your whole team to get organized.
JobStack: Auction day can best be described as managed chaos. You know exactly how many workers you need to your lanes run efficiently. Whether you have a few lanes or more than 25, staffing is a priority. Use JobStack to find workers 24/7 to ensure your lanes never dry up on auction day.

6 Safety Questions to Ask on Every Job

Safety is our No. 1 priority at PeopleReady. Ask yourself these six questions before your first visit to the job site.

December 22, 2020

We get it. When it feels like you have a million things to do, safety isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to mind – particularly when you’re hustling to make it on time and doing the job well.

But imagine the frustration of having to miss work because of an injury. Sitting out of days, sometimes even weeks or months, of pay and on top of that, dealing with an injury. It’s not worth it! But the numbers aren’t comforting: The National Safety Council says that someone is injured on the job every seven seconds, adding up to 510 injuries each hour, 88,500 a week, and 12,600 every day.

Our goal is that when you’re on a job site with PeopleReady, you feel safe. Here are five crucial questions to ask yourself before heading out onto a job, every single time:

1. Do I know the job?

When you’re sure of the job description and what your duties are, you can decide whether it’s a job you’re comfortable with and have the skills and proper training for. Make sure you know the details of a job before signing on.

2. Does the job look accurate?

If you show up to a job site and you’re being asked to do work that varies greatly from the description, call your branch representative about your safety concerns.

3. Am I geared up?

Don’t take your personal protective equipment (PPE) for granted; many injuries occur just because a worker isn’t wearing their PPE. And remember, PPE can be anything from steel-toed boots to a simple pair of protective glasses.

4. Do I feel safe?

If there is anything about your job site that doesn’t feel safe, do the right thing and let your supervisor and branch staff know. Respectfully informing them of any potential hazards not only protects you and your colleagues, but safeguards the business.

5. Have I reported this?

If you’re injured on the job, you need to tell the onsite supervisor and your branch representative. No matter how minor, your injury should be reviewed and taken care of. Sometimes what may seem like a small injury can turn into something much more serious. Feel free to contact the PeopleReady NurseLine to speak with a nurse about the injury and get help on what to do next. As they always say, better safe than sorry.

6. Am I up to date?

On safety training, that is. When you first start working with PeopleReady, you’ll go through a general safety assessment so we can understand how familiar you are with safety procedures and best practices. You can continue to grow your safety understanding and training with PeopleReady through various certifications, like OSHA 10, that provide you with the important safety info you need.

The top three workplace injuries that cause workers to lose workdays are overexertion, contact with or struck by objects/equipment, and slips, trips, and falls. Fortunately, these types of injuries can be prevented much of the time with a bit of foresight and awareness. We’re here to help with that.

5 Resume Tips That Job Seekers Should Know

Here are some tips to help you shine and overcome some resume obstacles—and prove to your future employer that you’re their ideal candidate.

November 7, 2020

You may not have a lot of prior experience, or maybe there are gaps in your employment. Here are some tips to help you shine and overcome some resume obstacles—and prove to your future employer that you’re their ideal candidate.

Write Concisely

Regardless of your experience, make sure your resume is easy to understand. Communicate well and make it readable, and don’t use wacky fonts or design styles. Be sure to use proper job titles. For example, using “Refuse Dispensing Engineer” or “Waste Management Professional” may make it confusing for the potential employer to understand. Be sure to format your resume correctly, align all of the columns and ensure it was written in an acceptable “resume style.” Clean and concise is best.

Use Proper Grammar

Any resume should be error-free. If you are not a great speller/writer, be sure to have another set of eyes proofread for spelling and grammatical errors. Even the best writers make mistakes. That’s why authors have editors.

Use Relevant Keywords

Be sure that you are including keywords that best fit your experience, beefing up your most recent positions. If you were a warehouse worker, be sure to add a sentence or two about some of the tasks that you performed. Employers will be looking for keywords that fit the jobs they have available and the more detailed your resume, the better your chances of landing an interview.

Focus on Skills

What skills have you learned and gained from your past experiences that you can bring to a future employer? More important than titles, more important than the names of the companies where you worked in the past, are the skills you will bring with you.

Share Your Experiences

Some opportunities may not seem like a good fit at first, but be open to different levels of work. Be clear on what you can do, and what jobs you want going forward. This type of information can easily be added as your opening resume objective. Your experience in a different industry than the one you are applying for may apply nicely. Don’t be afraid to acknowledge that you may be new to the industry, but are confident in your ability to transfer your skills from previous experience.

Define Your Past Positions

Have you had a large reduction in responsibility? For example, were you previously a plant manager but in your most recent position, a retail sales clerk? Potential employers may wonder what happened. Just be prepared to explain why. Were you looking to try something new? Did you get laid off and needed to find something else rather quickly? Be upfront about topics that some employers may perceive as a concern.

Demonstrate Commitment

Employers want to see that you have stayed long enough at previous employers to add value, learn new skills, and build longevity and loyalty with the company. Too many job shifts in too short a time period may suggest that you won’t stick around for them either. Also: Are there gaps in your employment? Be prepared to have a conversation about this during an interview or simply note this in your resume. Employers want to hire those who are going to commit to their company.

You have unique talents and gifts that will be an asset to some lucky employer. Follow these tips, and let your resume rise above the rest. At PeopleReady, we understand the interview process can be intimidating, that’s why we take pride in helping our associates prepare for the next step in their career.

Thomas E. Keller Partners with PeopleReady for Transportation Services Staffing

PeopleReady helped Thomas E. Keller grow their team with workers who had the right skills to get the job done. See how we did it.

February 13, 2020

When Thomas E. Keller, a medium-sized national transportation services company, continued to sustain repeated business challenges, they partnered with PeopleReady to find the necessary solutions. Whether finding difficulty in facilitating workers quickly, implementing a supportive and responsive local service team, or hiring the right workers for the right jobs, PeopleReady was prepared to step in to help.

With over 25 years of experience in the staffing industry, PeopleReady was able to fully staff Thomas E. Keller’s operation and supply them with full-time workers in less than a year. These improvements transformed the business, with Thomas E. Keller sharing “PeopleReady is an important staffing partner in support of our critical business goals. They are able to effectively match the right workers for the jobs we need to fill. This saves our organization time, money and allows us to meet our project deadlines.”

In a recent third-party survey, the company rated PeopleReady “Best in Class” for their performance, ease of use, reliability, and customer support. In addition to the exceptional experience as a whole, Thomas E. Keller saw improvements in their worker retention rate, the ability to hire the right people for the right skill set, and found access to hires immediately and locally. Additionally, they reported improved work satisfaction among current employees.

As the largest industrial staffing company in North America, PeopleReady helped Thomas E. Keller grow their team with workers equipped with the right skill sets needed to get the job done and who were ready to get started from day one.

Know These 4 Safety Musts for the Job Site

You need to know these 4 safety tips before heading to any job site. Read our blog with tips from the safety experts at PeopleReady here.

August 12, 2019

Your safety on the job site is paramount. Whether you know it or not, you’re the most important person to someone. So ensuring you’re taking all the steps you can to protect your health and well-being should always be top of mind. However, when you work a number of jobs with rotating job sites, locations and duties, it can be difficult to know what to expect from your work each day.

With just a little bit of preparation and insight, you can be steps ahead for safety and make sure you’re heading home at the end of the shift safe and sound. Read 4 simple ways that PeopleReady says will help you put safety first:

Mind Your Schedule

You know your schedule better than anyone. A recruiter, manager, boss, supervisor, or co-worker won’t know if you pulled an all-nighter studying or had back-to-back shifts the day before. It’s important that you get the rest and recovery time you need to be alert and focused on the job – and you’re the best person to know when that time will be. With flexible work, the shifts and hours aren’t always your normal 9-to-5, meaning you can decide what shifts work with your schedule and allow for the time you need for your health. Think about any events, activities, or obligations that might affect your schedule—and then find shifts that work around and with your needs.

Knowledge is Power … and Safety

The more you know about a job site before you head there, the better off you’ll be. From the personal protective equipment (PPE) to the location to the conditions, learn as much as you can about what to expect before you even leave for the shift. When you have a clear understanding of the type of work you’ll be doing and what’s needed, you can be sure to prepare in advance and come equipped with everything you need to do your job safely.

Health + Safety Go Hand-in-Hand

Do you think about your health and safety as separate? Your health is how you feel day-to-day, whether you’re sick or feel well generally. When you feel ill or like you might not be up to the tasks being asked of you at work, you’re much more likely to have an unsafe experience. For example, if you have a fever and spend several hours outside as a flagger, your conditions could worsen making it difficult to pay attention to your work. When you’re not alert on the job, mistakes can happen – and can put your safety at risk. That, in turn, puts others at risk, too. If you feel your health isn’t up to par, listen to your body and don’t do work where your safety could also be in jeopardy. We understand that health issues come up and make it so you can’t go to work: make sure you contact your recruiter or branch rep as soon as you feel you can’t work. Maintaining a good relationship with the customer is important so you have the opportunity to work once you’re feeling well again.

Your Skill Set Matters

Even within the same industry, not all jobs are the same. Some will require skills that you may not have yet while others are ideal for your abilities. Rather than put yourself in front of potential hazards by trying to do a job you’re not skilled for, focus on roles where you can do your best and do it safely. If your goal is to work jobs where specific skillsets might not even be required, but necessary, let your branch rep know. There are plenty of resources, classes, and certifications available to you so you can safely head in to a work setting and excel without putting your safety at risk.

Work with a staffing partner who values your safety as much as you and your loved ones do. Even better, find a staffing partner that builds these precautions into their processes so you have the support you need. You can use an app like JobStack to tick off these safety boxes, with the ability to see job information and requirements before you decide to take them, have access to your branch rep through text message and mobile, and look at the different shifts available. Learn more about how to make JobStack work for you!

5 Reasons Women Should Explore the Trucking Industry

The driver shortage is real- and its impact will be felt by the average consumer sooner rather than later.

November 15, 2018

The driver shortage is real, and its impact will be felt by the average consumer sooner rather than later. Within the next 10 years, over 400,000 commercial truck drivers will retire from the industry. Without new drivers to fill these roles, freight carriers will continue to raise prices, meaning the financial impact will affect you: the consumer.

While autonomous trucks are a reality, their incorporation into the commercial driving world is too far off to solve the problems presented by the looming driver shortage. This leaves the freight industry scrambling to fill sitting trucks.

Enter women: an incredibly underutilized population in the driver force. Today, women account for more than half of the working population in the United States, yet only make up 7.89 percent of commercial truck drivers.

Here are five reasons why women should think about commercial truck driving as their career path:

Discrimination in the workplace is still prevalent in today’s society, especially in terms of pay. In trucking, pay is determined by mileage, hours or percentage of load, making it harder to discriminate based on age, ethnicity or gender.
In 2017, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average salary for workers in the United States was $44,564. Today, the average salary a commercial truck driver is $45,330. Pay is only rising due to the demand of qualified drivers.
A commercial driver’s license typically costs anywhere from $3,000 to $7,000. With the driver shortage escalating as quickly as it is, some organizations are offering this training for free.
There is work to be done for a long time coming. While some industries find it easier to fill positions with robots and AI, technology has yet to fill a real driver’s position. With so many jobs up for grabs, drivers have the choice of where they want to work and who they want to work for.
Professional driving allows the opportunity for a flexible schedule and the opportunity to travel while getting paid. One of the perks that drivers continue to say they appreciate is the freedom of the work: not being tied to a desk and able to see new things every day.

Now more than ever, the world of trucking will benefit from diversifying. In order to keep the economy moving forward, a new era of drivers must emerge, and PeopleReady wants to support women in this career path.

Looking for work that fits your lifestyle? Connect with PeopleReady today!

PeopleReady specializes in quick and reliable on-demand labor and highly skilled workers. PeopleReady supports a wide range of blue-collar industries, including construction, manufacturing and logistics, waste and recycling, and hospitality. Leveraging its game-changing JobStack platform and 600-plus branch offices across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, PeopleReady served approximately 98,000 businesses and put more than 490,000 people to work in 2020.