This sent the wrong message.

Originally Posted by JRutledge

My state has made it very clear that all contracts assigned are with the school. And if the contract you have with the assignor says you are to work a game at a particular time, the school is responsible for what takes place. In other words I would not have to work a game I was not assigned at any level if it was not on the contract.

Your statement does not apply throughout the state. Our organization is the assignor for many northwest suburban conferences. We do not have written contracts with the schools although some have now gone to the voucher system for direct payment. However; what governs us is our organization. If we are missing an umpire at the site, we are supposed to call the assignor for direction as far as splitting up. But we are not obligated to do so. If you want to stay in good graces with the assignor, you do it. Nobody ever has a problem with it.

For those who do work under contracts be careful about the wording to make sure there is language about you being an independent contractor. If not, it could be assumed that you were an employee for tax purposes. At our clinics, there are always questions about the topic. Basically what we've been told is that if any agreement has restrictive language that can dictate your actions, you may wind up being considered an employee. I'm not trying to give legal advice because I'm not an attorney - if you're not sure, ask.