A consulting agreement and an employment agreement look similar on the surface — both describe someone doing work for a business — but they create very different legal relationships, and using the wrong one carries real risk.
What a consulting agreement actually establishes
A consultant is typically an independent contractor engaged for specific expertise or a defined project, retaining control over how the work gets done, often serving multiple clients, and responsible for their own taxes and benefits.
What an employment agreement establishes
An employee works under the business's direction and control — set hours, specific methods, ongoing supervision — and the business withholds taxes and may owe benefits, overtime, and other statutory protections.
Why the label on the document isn't what controls
Calling someone a "consultant" in the agreement doesn't protect a business if the actual working relationship looks like employment — the same misclassification exposure that applies to independent contractors applies here, often with the same back-tax and penalty consequences.
Drafting the agreement to match the real relationship
The right agreement reflects genuine independence — control over methods and schedule, the ability to work for others, project-based rather than open-ended engagement — not just a title chosen because it sounds simpler than putting someone on payroll.