In our model with different aspects of independent contracting that can have safeguards in place to avoid misclassification, we identified “terminating” as one of those aspects. This is a pretty broad topic, so we’ll offer this: Employees typically do not have contracts or rules governing their termination; the company may have policies and procedures they use in handling employees, but much employment is at-will without any further terms. This means employees may typically be terminated without advance notice or penalty. Conversely, independent contractors ideally should have a contract in place governing the terms of their working relationship. That contract may contain specific termination verbiage within it. That terminology can vary based upon your business needs and requirements. Once in writing, the best practice is to follow the documented terms, whether that be giving proper notice or complying with penalties. It is a good idea to have penalties for failure to meet those terms for both parties, as one-sided penalties or fines do not sit well with the court—and there are already enough contractor-related issues, so there’s no reason to provide an easy target!