<prompt> Human: I worked at this horse ranch cleaning corrals 4 days a week for over a year, received a steady paycheck and didnt own any of the equipment I used. Yet my former employer refused to consider me an employee but instead filed his taxes with me as an independent contractoreven though my checks for over a year clearly state I was getting paid by the hour.Question:Can I still file for unemployment benefits, and list him as my former employer? even though he insists I was an independent contractor not an employee? Im in California btw. thanks for your help.  <response>: The concept is called Worker Misclassification. Visit this link at the California Department of Industrial Relations about Independent Contractor versus Employee Read that FAQ to determine if youre being misclassified.If you are correctly classified as an independent contractor then you are not eligible for unemployment benefits. Worse, youre also on the hook for payroll taxes.If you are incorrectly classified and you should be an employee youll need to file a complaint with the labor commission. Question 5 in that FAQ will tell you the risks that you might get your classification fixed but still not be eligible for unemployment. 