In a prior job, which was in manufacturing, I was told that our "independent contractors" were not actually that because we included them in our safety training, including signing off on completing the training, and included them in team meetings. What are your thoughts on this?

While there are many legal nuances, training is generally inadvisable for independent contractors when possible to avoid. But the word “training” can sometimes be a loaded term in relation to ICs. “Training” may suggest that the company needs to teach the IC how to perform the work or role that the IC is contracted for, and this is inconsistent with the nature of a contractor workforce. If the contracting company is merely conveying information required to execute contractual obligations to a customer (e.g., where packages are required to be dropped at a customer site), the information can be conveyed without labeling this activity training (e.g., “Independent Contractor Best Practices”). Once again, this should be well-thought-out in a comprehensive plan for how your company interacts with ICs, from recruiting to contract termination. Please note that applicable laws sometimes require responsibility for training of IC workforces, and that may provide a different direction in the analysis.