Strategic partnership helps organizations confidently hire and engage independent contractors, freelancers, and global talent while reducing misclassification risk, payroll complexity, and regulatory exposure
TORONTO and HOUSTON, Jan. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- DISA Global Solutions, a leading provider of background screening and pre-employment compliance solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with Independently.ai, an AI-driven talent and workforce compliance technology company. Together, the companies address one of the most urgent challenges facing employers today: how to scale access to talent through independent workers while managing escalating compliance, payroll, and regulatory risk.
Organizations across industries are facing unprecedented talent shortages, rising payroll costs, and increasing regulatory complexity. In response, companies are rapidly shifting toward independent contractors, freelancers, fractional executives, gig workers, and global 1099 talent to meet critical business needs with greater flexibility and speed. Independent talent is now the fastest-growing segment of the workforce, with more than 70 million independent workers actively engaged today, a number that continues to rise globally.
Yet this shift has introduced a new set of challenges for HR, legal, finance, and procurement leaders, particularly around worker classification, payroll complexity, background screening, and regulatory compliance across jurisdictions.
The Workforce Has Changed — Compliance Has Not Kept Pace
Hiring independent talent is no longer a fringe strategy. It is now core to how modern organizations operate. However, many companies are relying on outdated processes and fragmented tools to manage a workforce that spans multiple states and countries, each with its own labor laws, tax rules, and classification standards.
Misclassifying a worker as an independent contractor when they should be treated as an employee can expose organizations to significant financial and legal liability, including:
- Back taxes and unpaid payroll contributions
- Penalties and interest imposed by tax authorities
- Retroactive benefits obligations (healthcare, pensions, paid leave)
- Wage and hour violations and overtime claims
- Workers' compensation and unemployment insurance liabilities
- Regulatory fines and audits at the state, federal, and international level
- Reputational damage and loss of candidate trust
As governments worldwide increase enforcement around worker misclassification, compliance has become a board-level issue, not just an HR concern.
Independently.ai: The Foundation for Independent Workforce Compliance
Independently.ai was built specifically to solve this problem. The company provides organizations with a defensible, technology-driven solution to validate independent contractor status and ensure compliance with state, federal, and international regulations across more than 54 countries.
Using AI-driven analysis, Independently.ai evaluates worker classification based on local laws, engagement structure, role characteristics, and contractual terms. This enables organizations to confidently engage independent talent while reducing the risk of misclassification and associated liabilities.
Independently.ai serves as a critical compliance layer for companies scaling their use of independent contractors, freelancers, fractional executives, and gig workers across borders.
DISA Global Solutions: Trusted Screening and Workforce Integrity
DISA Global Solutions brings decades of experience as a trusted provider of background screening, drug and alcohol testing, and workforce compliance services. With deep expertise across regulated industries and global operations, DISA supports employers in building safe, compliant, and trustworthy workforces.
Through this partnership, DISA's comprehensive screening capabilities complement Independently.ai's worker classification and compliance intelligence, creating a more complete end-to-end solution for modern hiring and workforce engagement.
What the Partnership Delivers
Together, Independently.ai and DISA Global Solutions provide organizations with a unified approach to engaging independent talent responsibly and at scale. The partnership helps employers:
- Confidently classify independent contractors and 1099 workers
- Reduce misclassification risk across U.S. states and 54+ countries
- Streamline onboarding while maintaining rigorous screening standards
- Navigate payroll and compliance complexity without slowing hiring
- Improve transparency and trust with independent workers
By aligning classification validation, screening, and compliance workflows, the partnership removes friction from the hiring process while strengthening risk controls.
Customer Value for HR, Legal, and Business Leaders
For HR and talent teams, the partnership means faster access to critical skills without sacrificing compliance. For legal and finance teams, it provides defensible documentation and audit-ready classification decisions. For business leaders, it unlocks the ability to scale flexible talent models with confidence.
Independent workers also benefit from clearer classification, fair treatment, and a more transparent engagement process, reinforcing trust at the foundation of the working relationship.
"The reality is that companies are turning to independent talent because they have to," said Jeff Nugent, CEO at Independently.ai. "Talent shortages, payroll costs, and global competition are forcing a fundamental shift in how work gets done. But without proper classification and compliance, that flexibility comes with serious risk. Partnering with DISA allows us to deliver a more complete solution that protects companies while enabling the future of work."
"DISA has long been committed to helping organizations maintain workforce integrity and compliance," said Shane Solheim, SVP of Channel Partnership at DISA Global Solutions. "This partnership extends that mission into the rapidly growing independent workforce, helping employers manage risk while adapting to new talent models."
A Critical Step Forward for the Modern Workforce
As independent work becomes a permanent fixture of the global economy, organizations need solutions designed for this reality, not legacy systems built for a different era. The partnership between Independently.ai and DISA Global Solutions represents a significant step forward in helping companies hire faster, operate globally, and stay compliant in an increasingly complex regulatory environment.
Learn More
To learn more about Independently.ai and DISA Global Solutions, or to request a demo, visit www.independently.ai or www.disa.com.
About Independently.ai
Independently.ai is an AI-driven workforce compliance and talent technology company helping organizations confidently engage independent contractors, freelancers, and global talent. Operating across more than 54 countries, Independently.ai validates worker classification to reduce misclassification risk, regulatory exposure, and operational complexity in the modern workforce.
About DISA Global Solutions
DISA Global Solutions is a leading provider of background screening, drug and alcohol testing, and workforce compliance services. Serving organizations worldwide, DISA helps employers build safe, compliant, and trusted workforces through accurate, reliable, and scalable screening solutions.
Media Contact
Jeff Nugent, Independently, 1 4165746460, [email protected], Independently.ai
Keryn Basl, DISA, 1 3392240185, [email protected], https://disa.com/
SOURCE Independently
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