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Sample Essay on Off-the-Books Job: Can Law Support Those Who Work Off-the-Record

November 17th, 2017

books jobEach person requires a certain job to earn money. This is an actual necessity though this is not an obligation. Some people remain unemployed and don’t have any costs for life. Those who get education commonly find a job. However, we should talk about two kinds of jobs – official and unofficial. There are many employees who prefer or are forced to choose an off-the-books job. This kind of job has its pros and cons, and it is really vital to discuss them.

The official job has one huge benefit – you are protected by the state. You will receive all kinds of insurances, official salary, all possible bonuses, guaranteed vacation, and years of professional experience, which will be added to your pension when you retire. Of course, there are some disadvantages as well. You are forced to pay taxes, and you will have a fixed salary, which may not be high enough to satisfy your needs.

It is quite different for unreported employees. Their salary may be much higher. Why do employers pay more for the unofficial workers? The reason is the payment of taxes. They don’t have to pay for such workers and may afford to pay higher salaries. Additionally, your working hours are flexible, and you may choose when to work and which amount of work to execute. A good example of such an opportunity is the job of a freelancer. Nevertheless, one should consider some drawbacks too.

No official experience is one of them. As you aren’t officially employment, there will be no information about your working experience, which is a huge drawback in regard to the Pension Fund. Also, don’t forget about absences of social and medical security. Unreported employees will not have any insurance, such like social and medical ones. This is a big problem too. No compensation – one more thing to be thought about.  In the case of any accident or financial problem of the company where you work, you will not get any compensation. Irregular payments and work is also a popular inconvenience. You may be cheated by your employer. In this case, you will not be able to prove that you have been working for a particular period of time to be paid accordingly because you do not have any legal documents. Thus, you may work for weeks on without salary. Some people haven’t even heard of potential penalties from Internal Revenue Service (IRS). If the IRS finds that you are an off-the-book worker, the fault will be all yours. And the last but not the least important – no guarantees for the future. One day you may come to your working site and find out that you are fired without any money, compensations, and insurance.

This list clearly illustrates all possible negative consequences of the off-the-record job. You still may have some guarantees. You may ask your employer to sign an official document that you will receive at least the fixed income. Nevertheless, you will be deprived of many other essential conditions.

It is up to you whether to risk unofficial job or not. However, it is always better to be officially registered. Under such condition, you will be protected by the state and will avoid multiple troubles.

References:

  1. David Lawrence Ganz (2008). Working “Off the Books”: What to Avoid. https://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/working-off-the-books—a-guide-of-what-to-avoid
  2. Brian, Mittman (2011). Workers’ Compensation For Workers Paid Off The Books. https://thedisabilityguys.com/workers-compensation-for-workers-paid-off-the-books/
  3. Tom, Breedlove (2015). Being Paid “On the Books” Pays Off. https://www.care.com/homepay/being-paid-on-the-books-pays-off-1309131442
  4. The New York Times (2008). Immigration, Off the Books. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/opinion/17thu1.html
  5. Daniel, Levy (2017). I Was Hurt on the Job but Was Working “OFF THE BOOKS” Can I Get Workers’ Compensation?
  6. Le, Trinh (2015). How Much Trouble Are Under the Table Employees? http://blogs.findlaw.com/free_enterprise/2015/06/how-much-trouble-are-under-the-table-employees.html
  7. Lawyers.com (2017). The Employer’s Liability for Unreported Tips. https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/taxation/the-employers-liability-for-unreported-tips.html
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