Agreed Lisa. I think the job is probably best suited for people who would benefit financially from being at home all day. I also think the 200% rule as I know it also probably doesn't apply well to people making $5-10 per hour. It's most often utilized for those in professional positions, who incur a much higher tax rate.
I do think the argument of a lot of people having a home office anyway is the same as the justification for taking the reimbursement diner assignment wth, "I was going to eat there anyway," however.
For the job in question, it's a requirement that you have high-speed access at home....and here are a few other things to think about with being a contractor instead of an employee:
-What happens when your internet is down? You don't get paid.
-What happens when your computer is dies? You can't work until you replace it.
-What happens is you're sick and can't work, or have an auto-accident, or get laid off? No benefits for you
Now you have to start adding the additional costs of taxes when you have a complex schedule C, and the hassle to pay quarterly taxes on your income, the lack of contributions to SSI, the extra power bills, possible local taxes you might have to pay (I pay 1% to L.A.County), use of your phone, printing materials, etc.
Yes, most people would have many of those expenses anyway, but the employer in this case gets out of footing that bill. If you commuted into an office every day, the power consumption at your home would likely be less, the office supply costs at home would be negligible and you would have tech support for all of your electronics at work, with a paycheck that came wether or not your desk computer was functioning.
Then you have to start looking at the personal toll of of a home-based job. Yes, there's the benefit of not having to get in your car and drive to work every day, but your work will consume your life unless you have amazing boundaries....and after spending the entire day in your house working, the concept of spending an evening at home will not be very exciting. Add to that the fact that the idea of taking a mystery shop to cover that dinner out will be even more unappealing and you will probably have much greater expenses for dining out that you have with a traditional job. I'm not making that one up, I learned it from being a stay-at-home scheduler!
My point being; I have been a full-time scheduler. It was almost a decade ago. I was paid around $25 per hour back then, plus a stipend for my health-insurance and home office, and I still couldn't make it work. Hats off to those who do. They are better at it than me. The thought of doing that job for $10 would terrify me.