Individual contributor, as distinct from, say, an executive, who is someone who actually might get an employment contract in the US. I apologize for the confusion.

Thanks for the clarification. I appreciate it. Apology accepted!

BTW, it does appear that, despite you being technically an employee, you're doing piecework like a contractor would. Piecework work is, indeed, paid for the piece, not the hours. If that is the agreement with your employer, then there is nothing dishonorable about it, and I withdraw my criticism.

You're quite welcome, and, BTW, I also edited out the rude phrase I used in my frustration trying to communicate my status here.

I don't know if you want to call it "piecework" per se or not, but, every tech job I've ever had has required me to make an estimate of what I think I can accomplish during a given period (generally a 2 week sprint). As long as there's no push back on whether that's sufficient or not from my manager, if I accomplish those things, it doesn't matter how long it takes. I can take 50 hours, or I can take 20, and I still get paid the same. I don't get paid additional money if I finish my original commitment in 20 hours, then take on more work, which, as you may understand, doesn't give me a great incentive to do so.

Recent years have seen a flurry of expensive lawsuits over the difference between a contractor and employee, most recently at Uber, so my views on that are likely outdated. I shouldn't be surprised that employers these days err on the side of caution and reclassified many traditionally contractor jobs as employee jobs.

Salaried jobs I've had all expected me to work 40 hrs. I'd moonlight on my own business, but was always careful to get a signed agreement in advance from my employer allowing me to do so. Some people moonlight and then live in terror of their employer finding out and claiming ownership over the moonlight business, but getting the agreement in advance forestalls that problem.

You're misunderstanding me again. I do the job of an employee. I simply have never had any expectation of "40 hours," or any other fixed amount of hours placed upon me as a salaried tech employee.