So I got offered a contract position... (employee, interviews, employers)

[distanceviews]

So I got offered a contract position (w2) which I have never done before but I was just thinking of a couple of questions to myself...

1) Is it 40 hours a week? Should I assume that? I mean there is nothing in the job description about # of hours and there was nothing mentioned to me in 3 interviews that would let me suspect anything less, though I guess I haven't even thought to ask at this point.

2) For these types of positions, do you think there is paid time off or is it all (you take a day off you just lose)?

3) The posting online says "6 months plus" and I have received no paperwork to this point with pay or a timeline. I am relocating for this position (if I take it) do you think apartment complexes will accept it? If a contract with a specific timeline is sent to me...I assuming I would only be able to get a 6 month lease.

[davebarnes]

W2 is NOT contract.
1099 is contract.

With a 1099 position, there are no guaranteed hours.
With a 1099, you pay 100% of SS and Medicare taxes (around 13.5%).
With a 1099, you pay quarterly estimated taxes.

If you are working for only a single employer, then the 1099 is most likely illegal.

You need to do some research.
You need a lot more info from this prospective employer.

[charlygal]

These are questions you should ask the people who hired you. How would we know?

[HappyDogToday]

I was hired in a job that called itself ''contract''. I was a 1099 employee of this company with benefits, etc., but the company itself was contracted to a military installation in a specific role.

And no, no one would rent to me as a contractor and I was told it was because there was no guarantee of how long I would be employed as a contractor.

They were right! The job lasted one month, then the contract was pulled!

Back home I went after sleeping on a friend's couch for a month...

[sware2cod]

In the IT industry - it is common to call short temp/non perm gigs "contracts". You can be paid via W2 or if you do independent contracting, you invoice them and get a 1099. When paid via W2, there usually is a 3rd party vendor that recruited you to work for their client. In this case the client pays the vendor for your work and the vendor pays you. There are 2 different ways you can get paid from the vendor via W2:
1) paid hourly - You submit your hours worked and the vendor pays you for each hour worked- usually 40 hrs per week. Usually paid 2x month or every 2 weeks. However, if there is a client company holiday then you usually don't work and you don't get paid for hours you don't work. If you take sick time or any days off, you don't get paid. However, often you can ask to work extra hours to make up for the time off. The hourly rate is usually higher than #2 below (to make up for unpaid time off and unpaid vacation)

2) get hired "full time" by the 3rd party vendor. They give you an annual salary and you get paid for sick days, vacation and holidays, and usually get some portion of benefits paid. Often when the 6 month gig is over at the client, they will attempt to place you with a different client. You might have to travel or move for the next gig. If they don't place you quickly, they often get rid of you because they don't want to pay for you if you aren't working. Some companies try to get you to work more than 40 hrs work if you are on salary with them. Then they can bill the client more hours.

When paid via W2, the vendor pays the employers' portion of SS/Medicare tax.