OnForce and ICon recently announced recently announced a partnership to provide organizations with the ability to engage, manage and pay their freelance workers. The collaborative effort will also help organizations to maintain state and federal compliance for their contingent workforce management practices.

The collaboration will bring the cloud-based OnForce Converge freelancer management system to the forefront of organizational freelance management, giving companies the ability to manage their private network of independent workers in conjunction with ICon’s full-service automated compliance solution. Customers can purchase the system and ICon’s offering through several subscription-based models with the promise that enterprise users will have the most efficient way of engaging, managing and paying their freelance workforce.

"There's really no debating that the use of independent contractors is one of the most advantageous strategies for companies to achieve greater workforce optimization," said ICon CEO Patricia Griffin, in a prepared statement. "We're enabling companies to leverage these benefits via our technology integrations and partnerships, while also providing the assurance that they are adhering to the full scope of complex compliance regulations."

According to the press release, recent studies have found that contingent labor accounts for up to 30 percent of an organization’s total workforce mix, with forecasts indicating that independent workers will account for more than 50 percent of the country’s workforce within the next six years. Because of that, OnForce believes it is more important than ever for companies to proactively address the logistical challenges associated with managing their worker relationships.

"Independent contractor compliance is one of the greatest concerns of companies seeking to capitalize on the efficiencies of the freelancer economy," said OnForce CEO Peter Cannone. "With this go-to-market offering between OnForce and ICon, enterprise customers have the opportunity to manage the growing trend toward engaging freelancers while mitigating these state and federal compliance risks."