The Helper

You are a painting contractor, licensed and solo for nine years. Somewhere in an old file is the exemption you signed when the license issued: a statement certifying you have no employees, on record with CSLB instead of a workers' comp certificate. It was true then. This spring you land three exterior repaints in the same month, and your cousin's kid — strong, careful, broke — asks if you need a hand for a few weeks.