Well, sometimes companies are not exactly above board. I see it all the time, where a company hires someone as a, "contractor." Except, they have a company computer, a company email, a desk, assigned hours, a requirement to be onsite, and they don't even know anyone at the company they are supposedly employed by, only by at the client company. Companies try t get all the benefits of an employee, with none of the liabilities.
If she is employed by a contracting company that is the nature of the beast.