Employee or Contract Worker: The Basics You Need (and Deserve) to Know
Are you a new professional exploring how to begin your career as a therapist? Or are you an experienced professional considering different paths in the field, unsure of where to start? Perhaps you are an aspiring private practice owner who wants to build an ethical and sustainable environment for future employees? Whatever the case may be, we’d love for you to join us for Employee or Contract Worker: The Basics You Need (and Deserve) to Know!
This self-paced, asynchronous online course is pre-approved for 3 CMTE Credits (155 minutes) and:
- Explores key fundamentals of worker classifications and workers’ rights
- Investigates basic business structures including sole-proprietorships, LLCs, and nonprofits
- Examines the effects of different work environments on worker wellbeing
- Engages applicable hands-on learning activities such as creating a personalized budget and regulatory resource guide
This course, led by business owner and nonprofit leader Nikki Belshe, offers an accessible introduction to the various worker classifications of therapists. Drawing on her own lived experience as a contractor-turned-business owner-turned-employer, Nikki provides practical insight into how business structures and worker classifications directly influence worker wellbeing, and ultimately, career sustainability.
After purchasing this course, you’ll receive a PDF with instructions to access the course. Please email us at continuingeducation@heartandharmony.com if you have any trouble accessing the course.
Course Details
Instructor
Nikki Belshe, MNLM, MT-BC
Pre-Approved Credits:
3 CMTEs
Keyword
Business Management
Type
Self-Paced
Course Content
Introduction
This course will define common worker classifications (e.g., employee, contractor, per diem) and outline basic financial, psychological, and practical implications that these different classifications may have on workers. Participants will learn about common business structures as well as positive and negative aspects for each structure. Importantly, participants will leave with a personal budget and regulatory resource guide for locating important regulatory information regarding labor and taxes.
This is an asynchronous, self-paced course hosted through Google Classroom. The 7-course units consist of video lectures, guided learning handouts, and step-by-step instructions for learning checks to be submitted to Google Classroom. Participant learning will be assessed by pre-test and post-test evaluations. A certificate of completion for 3 pre-approved CMTE credits will be provided upon finishing this course.
Course Outline
Course Outline
Unit 1: Introduction
- Presenter introduction and limitations – 9 minutes
Unit 2: Worker classifications
- Pre-test (independent work) – 10 minutes
- Employees, contractors, per diem – 4.5 minutes
- Learning check – 5 minutes
Unit 3: Business structures
- For-profit and nonprofit – 15 minutes
Unit 4: Financial Considerations
- Personal budget (independent work) – 20 minutes
- Wages and Taxes – 9 minutes
- Personal budget revision (independent work) – 15 minutes
Unit 5: Workplace Considerations
- Pros and cons of working for self/other – 12 minutes
- Learning check – 5 minutes
Unit 6: Regulatory Resources
- Labor laws and IRS – 9 minutes
- Regulatory Resource Guide (independent work) – 15 minutes
Unit 7: Wrap up
- Recap – 6 minutes
- Post-test (independent work) – 10 minutes
- Self-reflection (independent work) – 10 minutes
Total Time = 155 minutes total = 3 CMTEs
Learning Objectives
Objective 1
Participants will identify at least two (2) key differences between contractors and employees (Knowledge 5B4; Task 58, 59).
Objective 2
Participants will identify two (2) important considerations when deciding between contracting, starting a practice, or working for an existing organization (Knowledge 5B4, 5B10; Task 58, 59, 68).
Objective 3
Participants will create a personal budget with at least 10 line items that will assist in determining rate feasibility (Knowledge 1B, 5B10; Task 2, 3, 68).
Meet Your Instructor
Nikki Belshe, MNLM, MT-BC, is owner and Clinical Director of Heart and Harmony Music Therapy and founder of Music Therapy Access Fund. She has a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from Arizona State University and Bachelor’s Degree in Music Therapy from Sam Houston State University. Nikki initially grew her private practice by hiring contractors in 2013 and eventually changed all contractors to employees in 2019. Heart and Harmony is now a group practice that employs over a dozen MT-BCs and regularly trains interns and practicum students. Nikki cares deeply about professional sustainability and is invested not only in creating a healthy work environment for her team, but empowering her colleagues to be aware of healthy and sustainable professional practices so that they, too, can thrive. When she’s not making music, you might find Nikki watching birds, exploring the outdoors, or gaming with her family.
Course Format
This is an asynchronous, self-paced course hosted through Google Classroom. The 7-course units consist of video lectures, guided learning handouts, and step-by-step instructions for learning checks to be submitted to Google Classroom. Participant learning will be assessed by pre-test and post-test evaluations. A certificate of completion for 3 pre-approved CMTE credits will be provided upon finishing this course.