Question 1

Do creators need workers' compensation if they're 1099 contractors?

Accepted Answer

Increasingly, yes. State labor regulators in CA, NY, NJ, and MA require WC coverage for any worker performing labor on an engagement — even when classified as 1099. The NY Fashion Workers Act (Q3 2026) makes this explicit for stylists, photographers, makeup artists, and production crews. Without WC in the creator's name, the brand engaging them becomes the de facto employer for liability purposes.

Question 2

Does paying for creator coverage compromise their 1099 status?

Accepted Answer

Not when the policy is in the contractor's name. 1099Policy issues coverage to the creator as the named insured — the brand or agency is added as a blanket additional insured. That's the legal opposite of an EOR arrangement, where the employer-of-record assumes the W-2 relationship. Courts, the IRS, and state regulators treat "coverage in the contractor's name" as a key indicia of independence.

Question 3

What happens if a creator gets injured during a brand engagement?

Accepted Answer

The creator's policy responds first. WC covers medical, lost-wage indemnity, and rehab — paid directly to the creator at no cost to them. The brand's separate GL and additional-insured status protect against secondary liability. Without coverage in the contractor's name, the brand typically becomes responsible for medical bills and faces misclassification audit risk.

Question 4

Can creators reuse 1099Policy coverage across multiple engagements?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Per-gig, per-day, and annual options are all available. A creator who opts in once is automatically covered for every engagement that flows through 1099Policy — across multiple brands and agencies — using the same underlying policy. The blanket additional-insured structure lets each new brand engagement attach without re-underwriting.

Question 5

What does the NY Fashion Workers Act require?

Accepted Answer

Effective Q3 2026, any agency engaging models, stylists, makeup artists, photographers, or production crew must document workers' comp coverage at the start of each engagement. Coverage must be active during the engagement and verifiable on demand. 1099Policy's API delivers compliant COIs in seconds and stores audit-ready records by default.

Question 6

Who is the named insured on the policy?

Accepted Answer

The creator — always. Their name is on the COI, the carrier holds the policy in their entity, and claims pay out to them. The brand or agency is added as additional insured so they're protected against third-party claims arising from the engagement. The underlying policy never makes the brand the employer-of-record, which is what preserves 1099 status.

Workers' comp and liability for your freelance creators, without the EOR markup or the W‑2 conversion.

Creators are working without coverage. Brands are noticing.

A Vlog Squad stunt: nine surgeries and a $10M injury lawsuit.

You're paying 20% to convert creators into W-2s they don't want to be.

Regulators are tightening WC rules for 1099 creative work.

COI review eats 8 hours per booking.

Brands require coverage → creators sign up → roster grows.

Four capabilities that turn brand-partnership compliance into infrastructure.

Bind WC and GL in the creator's name through the same API that drives the campaign brief.

The compliant-roster number your CRO will actually screenshot.

General liability

Coverage in the creator's name. Brand named on the COI for the campaign.

Contractors with pending applications

Every creator on the campaign, every COI status, in one queue.

What creator-talent companies ask first.

Close the coverage gap across your creator roster.