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I was at Microsoft years ago and there was a transition away from providing similar perks to contractors due to a lawsuit.

https://www.reuters.com/article/businesspropicks-us-findlaw-...

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Microsoft got burned badly on misclassification, but amenities had nothing to do with it: their contractors effectively were employees, with no material difference between FTEs and contractors in terms of how was work delivered and what expectations were. (I've done a very little bit of contracting work for MSFT, FWIW).

I'm not surprised if MSFT overcorrected after that shitstorm.

But for what it's worth, my understanding is that v-badges at MSFT still get access to facilities!

For more background on this (dating back to the halycon years of 1986), see 'grellas's comment here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1137930

Though the notion that an IRS reclassification caused an employment practices lawsuit demanding access to e.g. retirement benefits for a reclassified independent contractor is a bit amusing, if terrifying when considered from an employer's perspective.

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