{
  "version": "1.3.0",
  "releasedAt": "2026-05-20",
  "kpi": {
    "rogueId": "hr.total_contractors",
    "slug": "total_contractors",
    "domain": "hr",
    "defaultLabel": "Total Contractors",
    "description": "Count of active 1099 contractors, consultants, agencies-of-record, and similar non-employee labor at period end. Tracked separately from `hr.total_headcount` because the cost structure, retention dynamics, and classification risk are different. Common pitfall: under-counting agencies that bill on a project basis without per-head visibility — these often slip out of HR systems and surface only in finance AP detail. A contractor-to-FTE ratio above ~30% sustained typically warrants a classification audit and a deliberate \"build vs rent\" board conversation.",
    "fieldType": "number",
    "unit": null,
    "maturity": "general",
    "suggestedForStages": [
      "seriesA",
      "seriesB",
      "seriesC",
      "public"
    ],
    "defaultOwningFunctions": [
      "HR"
    ],
    "stageRelevance": {
      "seriesA": "recommended",
      "seriesB": "recommended",
      "seriesC": "recommended",
      "public": "recommended"
    },
    "definitionSource": {
      "tier": "editorial",
      "sourceName": "imboard Editorial",
      "sourceUrl": null,
      "sectionRef": null,
      "publicationDate": "2026-04-01",
      "attributionNotice": null
    },
    "formula": "Count of active non-employee workers (1099 contractors, agency contractors, consultants) with engagement status = active at period end. Convert to FTE-equivalent in `hr.fte_metrics` using a contractor-to-FTE factor (e.g., 0.8) if applying to capacity math.",
    "whyItMatters": "Hidden capacity and hidden cost — contractors expand effective capacity without going through the headcount-approval gate, but they carry classification risk and tend to convert into permanent cost without explicit board approval. Surfacing the count counters that quiet expansion.",
    "interpretationGuidance": "Contractor share of total workforce above ~30% sustained signals either a hiring-gate workaround or a deliberate flex-staffing strategy — both warrant a narrative explanation. Under US IRS rules and similar in other jurisdictions, sustained \"contractors\" working full-time under direction risk reclassification (industry folk-wisdom on the 30% threshold, not citation-grade).",
    "relatedKpiIds": [
      "hr.total_headcount",
      "hr.fte_metrics",
      "hr.hiring_plan",
      "hr.payroll_run_rate"
    ],
    "metricBasis": {
      "timeBasis": "point_in_time",
      "production": "primary"
    }
  }
}