This procedure describes the role of Purchasing Services in hiring an independent contractor. Departments may sometimes need to contract for services with independent providers. To be defined as an independent contractor, a provider must meet the criteria established by the Oregon Revised Statutes and described in Independent Contractors: Definitions.
- Departments needing to contract for services with independent providers should contact Purchasing Services and ascertain the most appropriate method of achieving their goals.
- When a Purchase Order is drafted to an individual (as opposed to a company or other assumed business name), the originating department shall attempt to determine that the intended contractor is not a college employee. If the intended contractor is known to be an employee, the originating department shall contact Human Resources for further instructions before continuing with the purchasing process.
- If the originating department chooses to proceed, the purchase order shall be completed and forwarded to Purchasing Services (with supporting documentation if the value of the requisition is over the current threshold for obtaining quotations).
- When a purchase order is received in the name of an individual person, Purchasing Services shall make a final determination that the individual is not an active employee. If approved, the requisition shall be converted into a purchase order and released. Purchasing Services shall include an Independent Contractor Notification Form (ICN) with each such mailing.
- Purchasing Services shall ascertain, retrieve and correlate as many tax identification numbers (TINs), or substitute Social Security Numbers (SSNs), as possible.
- Accounts Payable shall ensure that all suppliers classified as Independent Contractors submit Federal TINs or SSNs on invoices prior to payment of the invoice (see Section 1 of ICN).
For definitions related to Independent Contractors, see Independent Contractors: Definitions.