W-2 or 1099? The Truth About Hiring Clinicians Artwork

Pelvic PT Rising

Helping pelvic physical therapists improve as clinicians, in their careers or business, and their lives. Hosted by Dr. Nicole Cozean and Jesse Cozean, the founders of PelvicSanity physical therapy and the Pelvic PT Huddle, the podcast explores all aspects of pelvic physical therapy. You'll find the clinical pearls that Dr. Nicole teaches in her continuing education courses, the business and career advice that catapulted PelvicSanity into one of the largest cash-based physical therapy practices in the country, and living life as business owners and pelvic health advocates. And we'll be keeping it 100% real - and having some fun - along the way!

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Pelvic PT Rising

W-2 or 1099? The Truth About Hiring Clinicians

September 04, 2025

Can you hire a clinician as a 1099 contractor instead of a W-2 employee?

Short answer: No. It’s illegal. And it’s one of the biggest risks you take as a business owner.

In this episode, we break down:

Why payroll taxes incentivize employers to call people “contractors.”
The 10 IRS criteria that determine if someone is a W-2 or 1099 (hint: clinicians don’t qualify).
Why paying someone as a contractor actually hurts your business, even if it were legal.
The real risks of misclassification — IRS audits, state audits, or employee complaints.
What to do if you’ve been misclassifying and how to fix it.

This is a can’t-miss episode if you’re hiring (or thinking about it).

👉 Want more? Head to www.pelvicptrising.com
for our free trainings. And if you’re serious about growing a sustainable, compliant business, apply for the Business Accelerator — our 6-month coaching intensive that gives you the exact systems to grow.

About Us

Nicole and Jesse Cozean founded Pelvic PT Rising to provide clinical and business resources to physical therapists to change the way we treat pelvic health. PelvicSanity Physical Therapy (www.pelvicsanity.com) together in 2016. It grew quickly into one of the largest cash-based physical therapy practices in the country.

Through Pelvic PT Rising, Nicole has created clinical courses (www.pelvicptrising.com/clinical) to help pelvic health providers gain confidence in their skills and provide frameworks to get better patient outcomes. Together, Jesse and Nicole have helped 700+ pelvic practices start and grow through the Pelvic PT Rising Business Programs (www.pelvicptrising.com/business) to build a practice that works for them!

Get in Touch!

Learn more at www.pelvicptrising.com, follow Nicole @nicolecozeandpt (www.instagram.com/nicolecozeandpt) or reach out via email (nicole@pelvicsanity.com).

Check out our Clinical Courses, Business Resources and learn more about us at Pelvic PT Rising...Let's Continue to Rise!