Independent Contractors

Campuses must comply with State/Federal laws and CSU policies regarding the proper classification of employees and independent contractors. Misclassification of a worker as an independent contractor can result in considerable wage and benefit obligations, financial penalties, tax consequences, and other liabilities.

For more information, refer to the CSU Independent Contractors Guidelines [pdf]. 

Department Responsibilities

When departments are considering using a current vendor in our system or onboarding a new independant contractor, we ask that you:

1. Complete the following documents:

• ABC Test provided by the State of California.
• Independent Contractor vs Employee Worksheet [pdf].
• Description of Duties or Scope of Work [pdf].

2. Submit these documents to University Personnel for review and authorization

• For staff positions, contact the Manager of Recruitment and Retention.
• For faculty positions, contact the Senior Director of Faculty Services.

Verified as Independent Contractor

Once the department confirms the supplier qualifies as an independent contractor, they can proceed with onboarding and/or submitting their request in FTS.

Verified as a SJSU or CSU Employee

If the department determines the supplier qualifies as an SJSU or CSU employee, then they must proceed with a different payment option:

• For SJSU employees, contact your Payroll Representative for guidance.
• For CSU employees, submit a IFT through Accounting Services.