What's the salient difference between hiring a worker to help your business, and thereby being entitled to a share of your business, and hiring a worker to do some work on your house, and thereby being entitled to a share of it?

Hiring a worker to do some work on your house is a transaction

Hiring a worker to help your business is employment

I'm sure I don't have to explain the differences between a transaction and employment?

You make a good point

Very good point, you would have to make the decision yourself whether to offer shares for what type and length of service.

And if so it could be considered a (very) generous decision more often than not.