I am currently a contractor (W2 not 1099) working for a large non-profit that made $80-$120 million last year. They refuse to purchase a pro license to Unity and claim they will do so “later”. The confusing part is the large non-profit created an LLC that technically doesn’t make any money and that is who I am contracted with. I have been working for 6 months now, built a VR app for a conference and I am almost to the end of a four month project building a prototype for a new product.
I am concerned they do not wish to purchase a license and wondering if I can get in trouble for the company’s dubious decision.
Does the LLC have a budget of more then 100k? (Its likely it does if it’s employing contractors.) And if it does, they are required to purchase a lisence. You could always email Unity to make them aware of the situation.
To cover your personal liability you should speak with a lawyer. Employment law can get complex.
That’s not entirely correct. Under 100k you can use any lisence. Between 100-200k you can no longer use personal and must use plus or pro. Above 200k you can only use pro.
So the 100k limit is still the threshold for getting off personal and giving Unity money.
Good to know… figured that it was just pro that was required to be bought beyond the 200 k threshold. So now there are two of these… ok. Is it gross or net though?
It sounds like you’ve done your part by addressing it. I would be very surprised if this got back to you at this point. But if you, personally, are making $100k in salary wouldn’t that constitute needing a license for yourself?
Only if he’s 1099. Since he’s W2 he’s not techinically a “contractor” but an employee of the company in which case the burden of licensing falls on the employer.
being told you’re a contractor and getting a W2 is just wrong… I wonder how many other benefits you’re being withheld from… insurance, time off, sick days… ???
It’s a fairly common structure, usually not structured like hes describing but more often done through recruiting agencies that farm out their W2 employees on a contract basis.
I never go through recruiting agencies, they tend to be a waste of time and money. Because like any other business they are in it to make money… If you’re making 75 an hour you can bet your bottom dollar they are charging the client 150 an hour and the client thinks they are paying you 150 an hour. So many schemes they do, granted there are some good ones out there I hear, but they are so rare I hear that you almost always get into some recruiting agency who doesn’t care about you only that you make them their money.
It can be important to get into bigger companies. Often times they’ll be looking for a specialist but only have contracts with xyz recruiting agencies and HR won’t let them hire individual contractors for the position. In that case, its nice to have the work there and a nice way to get a possible staff offer.
But yeah, there are indeed a lot of sleazy recuiters out there.
Yes but in this case, you’re W2 is with the recruiting agency. I’m not a big fan of recruiting and staffing firms in general. I work for a pure consulting firm though and love it. My benefits and salary are provided whether I’m on contract with a client or on the bench, though I havent been on the bench for about 5 years.
At any rate, if the W2 is being provided by the LLC, then he’s considered a permanent employee.