Workers = Employees = Work for you, hired directly, using a W4 and an I-9, and the year end is reported on W2.

Independent Contractors = Vendor names = running themselves as a business, not your employee, and a 1099-Misc is used to report payments for their services in Box 7, if it reaches $600 and if the W9 they submitted to you indicates they are subject to 1099-Misc reporting as independent contractors.

Don't get that confused.

In QBO workers is a menu option

then you choose employees or contractors

employees do not get a 1099 they get a w-2

contractors do get the 1099

contractor and vendor are one and the same, why intuit put two labels in place is a mystery, both are listed as vendors that you pay