Exploring External Labor Alternatives: Balancing the Risk of Co-Employment with Loss of Intellectual Property (IP)

With capital investments on the rise in the oil and gas industry, there’s also more demand for qualified engineering and construction workers. In order to meet this demand, enterprises often supplement their in-house teams with contract personnel who frequently perform work on multiple projects over periods of years. 

However, in many companies, there’s growing concern regarding the possibility of nested contract workers having the ability to claim benefits or make a case for being an employee of the host company. As a result, some companies are considering putting tenure limits in place—an option that can lead to unintended negative consequences.

This whitepaper outlines the options available to companies wishing to leverage contract workers to their advantage.