And I'm afraid I'm one of them :P .....

Usually, I get offered an employee position when I'm working for someone and they decide I'd cost less if I was an employee. Given the market here, that doesn't usually enamore me of their cost accounting abilities (some exceptions ... ). In any case, I've always turned them down.

In one case, they offered me employment $ with a contractor's promises (work for 40 hrs get paid for 20 while training ... 6 months no guarantees, no benefits). I feel proud of myself for being polite and not laughing.

Unfortunately, I've not been so lucky when it comes to equity in startups. Each time it's happened it's been a type of work I didn't have experience in, and during a period I didn't have anything else going on and needed a break. And each time the company folded.

Sometimes you got to do it for what else you can get out of the deal.