---
type: "Operating Model"
title: "The W-2 All-Inclusive Bill Rate Model"
description: "What TempGuru's all-inclusive W-2 bill rate covers and why worker classification matters for event organizers."
tags:
  - "w2-employment"
  - "pricing"
  - "compliance"
  - "misclassification"
timestamp: "2026-08-18T00:00:00Z"
---
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# The W-2 All-Inclusive Bill Rate Model

On US orders, every event worker is a **W-2 employee of the assigned vetted local partner agency**, not a 1099 contractor; TempGuru is not the workers' employer. Canadian orders are employed locally under Canadian employment and payroll rules. Every
published rate is a single **all-inclusive hourly bill rate** that covers:

- Worker pay
- Employer payroll taxes (FICA, FUTA, SUTA)
- Workers' compensation insurance
- General liability insurance
- I-9 employment verification
- TempGuru coordination
- Replacement coordination (best effort, under applicable state and local rules)

Background checks are available when the event or venue requires them. Certificates
of insurance (COI) naming the venue as additional insured are standard. There is no
invoice-time markup; event-specific charges (overtime, holiday premiums, rush orders,
parking, travel, uniforms) are identified on the quote before confirmation.

## Why classification matters to the event organizer

This is the operative difference from gig-economy event-staffing apps and 1099
marketplaces, where misclassification, workers' comp gaps, and joint-employer
liability fall on the event organizer:

1. **Classification.** Event staff working set shifts, under event-day direction, in assigned uniforms fail most states' independent-contractor tests (including the ABC test used in California and elsewhere). Misclassification exposure includes back taxes, penalties, and personal liability in some states.
2. **Workers' compensation.** If a worker is injured on site and the staffing provider's coverage is absent or invalid, liability can flow to the organizer and the venue.
3. **COI.** Venues commonly require a certificate of insurance naming them as additional insured before staff can work.
4. **Joint-employer exposure.** Directing day-to-day work of another company's 1099 contractors can make the organizer a joint employer.
5. **Wage/hour.** Multi-day festivals and long load-in days are where overtime violations occur. Check the [daily-overtime states](compliance/index.md) carefully.

See [state-by-state compliance](compliance/index.md) for the operational detail.
This is operational guidance, **not legal advice**, consult employment counsel for
binding interpretation.