Category Archives: Freelancer rights

How often do Freelancers need to opt out of the pension scheme with a regular employer?

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Paul Evans

This is another of those posts that we would urge you to act upon only after having read the footnote (below). We are periodically contacted by members who work multiple short contracts for the same engager (e.g. a national broadcaster) … Continue reading →

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BECTU declares ‘biggest push’ in its history to improve freelancers’ rights

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Paul Evans

If you don’t want it from the horse’s mouth, you can get it from The Stage [£]. “BECTU has launched a new branch for theatre freelancers, which it says is the biggest push in the union’s history to improve the … Continue reading →

Posted in Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Organising Skills, Recruitment and organising, Theatre and Live Events data | Tagged , | Leave a comment

IPSE on the Dividend Tax and NIC increases

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Paul Evans

Some light weekend reading for you: IPSE have a post up outlining how the NIC increases to pay for social care will impact freelancers, along with a view that the changes to Dividend Tax means that “Government is making it … Continue reading →

Posted in Freelance working, Freelancer rights, IR35, National Insurance Contributions (NICs), Personal Service Companies, Tax | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Locked Down and Locked Out – impact of Covid pandemic on mothers working in UK TV sector

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Paul Evans

49% of respondents said they had been unable to accept work due to childcare related issues. Read the #LockedDownAndLockedOut report now on the impact of the pandemic on mothers in UK TV: https://t.co/37JAX9Djjz pic.twitter.com/JYKKUwZdK4 — Bectu (@bectu) September 9, 2021 … Continue reading →

Posted in Coronavirus, Coronavirus, Equality, Film & TV industry policy, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Gender equality, Health & Safety, Long hours, Management, Mental Health, Remote working, Wellbeing, Work-life balance | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Freelancers – ‘the canary in the coalmine’

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Paul Evans

From earlier this year, a useful roundup from The Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (NESTA) of the policy issues governments need to bear in mind when thinking about creative freelancers. Their understanding of Creative Freelancers is as follows: The … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Employment, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Management, Productivity | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Freelance Deal: 1. Employment Rights, Tax and Pensions

Posted on August 24, 2021 by Paul Evans

This is the first draft of the policy document that has been agreed by the Tax, Employment Rights and Pensions Working Group of London Production Division (LPD) on the 7th May 2020. It is a contribution to Bectu’s proposed ‘New … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment Contracts, Employment Law and Rights, Employment status, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Gig economy workers, IR35, Long hours, Management, Pensions, Personal Service Companies, Skills & capacity, Tax, Welfare and benefits, Wellbeing, Work-life balance | Tagged | Leave a comment

Construction Industry Scheme (tax for the self-employed working in construction)

Posted on August 13, 2021 by Paul Evans

Plainly the Construction Industry Scheme doesn’t apply to too many Bectu members (I’d need to get advice on how it could apply to people in set construction by my early guess is that it wouldn’t), but we need to know … Continue reading →

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Freelancers’ right to covid-protective clothing

Posted on August 12, 2021 by Paul Evans

I’m sharing, word-for-word, an email I’ve received from the TUC. I’m posting it here in case any members who are freelancers, have been asked to provide their own PPE, and have felt that – as a result – they have … Continue reading →

Posted in Coronavirus, Coronavirus, Employment Law and Rights, Employment status, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Gig economy workers | Tagged | Leave a comment

Umbrella Companies and employment rights

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Paul Evans

There have been a number of posts on this site already about Umbrella Companies, but I’ve had an enquiry about employment rights for people engaged through such a company. The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group has published a useful briefing … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment status, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Gig economy workers, IR35, Tax | Tagged | Leave a comment

Ban Umbrella Companies?

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Paul Evans

The TUC is calling for a ban on Umbrella Companies [pdf]. The document under that link also outlines what they define as an Umbrella Company – I’ll be reading this in some detail as I think there may be some … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment Contracts, Employment intermediaries, Employment Law and Rights, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Personal Service Companies | Tagged | Leave a comment

Employers minimum-wage shame list and how it affects freelancers

Posted on August 5, 2021 by Paul Evans

From an HMG press release earlier today: Today (Thursday 5 August) 191 businesses are being named for breaking the national minimum wage law. Following investigations by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, a total of £2.1 million was found to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment Law and Rights, Freelancer rights, Low pay, Minimum wage rates, Pay & inflation, Wages and Pay-rates | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Crib sheet from the RSA on employment statuses

Posted on August 3, 2021 by Paul Evans

You can download this here [pdf]

Posted in Employment Law and Rights, Employment status, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Gig economy workers | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Expenses and tax relating to travelling to work

Posted on July 30, 2021 by Paul Evans

Further to the detailed post about expenses for the self-employed, we often get asked about what the law on tax and earnings is for your travel to and from a place of work. If you are employed by a company, … Continue reading →

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Labour proposes the creation of a single ‘worker’ status

Posted on July 27, 2021 by Paul Evans

New #ukemplaw bulletin – Labour announces policy to create a single status of ‘worker’ – https://t.co/naWdwwJ1AE — Daniel Barnett (@daniel_barnett) July 26, 2021 Keir Starmer outlines this on LabourList – here. The party has been briefing that the aim here … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment Law and Rights, Employment status, Family rights, Freelancer rights, Labour Party, Minimum wage rates | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Creative Workforce Pledge

Posted on July 21, 2021 by Paul Evans

The Creative Workforce Pledge was a campaign to target candidates who were standing to be Metro Mayors in May 2021, to call on them to “stand up for the creative workforce, to nurture local talent and invest in culture for … Continue reading →

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Lord John Hendy QC – The Status of Workers Bill.

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Paul Evans

Lord Hendy’s bill The Status of Workers Bill was introduced to the House of Lords on the 26th May 2021. It is… “A Bill to make provision for the creation of a single status for workers by amending the meaning … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment Contracts, Employment intermediaries, Employment Law and Rights, Employment status, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Gig economy workers, IR35, Personal Service Companies | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Workers reject the idea of a four-day week on lower pay

Posted on July 16, 2021 by Paul Evans

A new report from The Social Market Foundation (SMF) entitled A question of time [PDF] explores the question of the four day week. The key findings (from the exec summary) are that… Most workers – 80% – would not favour … Continue reading →

Posted in Bectu Agreements, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Long hours, Major Motion Picture Agreement, Management, Pay & inflation, Productivity, TV Drama Agreement, Wages and Pay-rates, Workplace conflict | Tagged , | Leave a comment

TUC insecure work report

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Paul Evans

The TUC have published a special edition of their Jobs and Recovery monitor,and this time it’s focussed on Insecure Work [PDF]. From the exec summary… The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the reality of insecure work in the UK. Care workers, … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment, Employment Contracts, Employment Law and Rights, Employment status, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Gig economy workers, Low pay, Welfare and benefits | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

British Copyright Council (BCC)

Posted on July 14, 2021 by Paul Evans

Bectu is a member of the British Copyright Council (BCC) The union is a bit different to most BCC members. While many of our members are very creative, and active contributors to the creation of the theatrical / artistic / … Continue reading →

Posted in Copyright & Intellectual Property, EU & Brexit, Freelancer rights, Personal data, Regulation | Leave a comment

Unenforceable employment rights in film & TV

Posted on July 9, 2021 by Paul Evans

TUC have authored a guide to enforcing workplace rights here (it’s an MS Word doc that downloads instantly). There are two obvious ones in film & TV that we’d like to be considered in any updates. The 11-hour break between … Continue reading →

Posted in Bectu Agreements, Employment Contracts, Employment Law and Rights, Film & TV industry policy, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Gig economy workers, Long hours, Safe working practices | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Why no contracts can be an advantage in gig worker organising

Posted on July 9, 2021 by Paul Evans

Over on Brave New Europe, Robert Ovetz argues that the lack of contractual rules governing platform workers could actually be an advantage for organised gig workers, who are increasingly relying on maximum disruption of the capital accumulation process.

Posted in Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Gig economy workers, Organising Skills, Recruitment and organising, Workplace conflict | Leave a comment

Can someone trading through a PSC claim employment rights from an engager?

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Paul Evans

A very interesting post on AccountingWeb. Among other cases referred to in the article, in 1994, a disgruntled individual, who was providing their services through a limited company or PSC, brought a claim for unfair dismissal. In Catamaran Cruises Ltd … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment Law and Rights, Employment status, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, IR35, Personal Service Companies | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Statutory Sick Pay and freelance working

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Paul Evans

For the purposes of this post, I’m taking the term ‘freelance’ in its broadest form. Many people who are on either short fixed-term contracts, or non-permanent PAYE contracts tend to regard themselves as ‘freelancers’. People who are ‘self-employed’ have few … Continue reading →

Posted in Disability equality, Employment Law and Rights, Equality, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Illness and disability, National Insurance Contributions (NICs), Welfare and benefits | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Understanding the roles of the Hair, Makeup and Prosthetic department

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Paul Evans

Bectu’s London Production Division branch representing people working in Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics has produced an excellent ‘College Pack‘ that includes briefings on ‘knowing your worth’, Film, TV, Theatre and Fashion sector roles and lots of other guidance that is … Continue reading →

Posted in Film & TV industry data, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Recruitment and organising | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

IR35 – update

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Paul Evans

As a general update about where we are with IR35, it’s playing out as expected. Some employers, as predicted, are proving to be risk-averse and particularly those who do ‘blanket determinations’ – where employers are making flat judgments based on … Continue reading →

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TUC report on labour market enforcement

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Paul Evans

A May 2021 TUC report into non-compliance with labour market regulations is available here. Here’s the takeaway: “To put it bluntly, our labour market enforcement system is under-resourced. There are not enough labour market inspectors to investigate and enforce breaches … Continue reading →

Posted in Employment Contracts, Employment Law and Rights, Freelancer rights, Gig economy workers, Long hours, Safe working practices | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Uber recognition deal with the GMB

Posted on May 27, 2021 by Paul Evans

A minor bombshell, GMB and Uber have agreed a recognition deal. TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said the agreement would give Uber drivers “a real voice at work”.

Posted in Employment intermediaries, Freelancer rights, Gig economy workers, Low pay, Trades Unions | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Freelance gender pay gaps

Posted on May 26, 2021 by Paul Evans

The gender pay gap, when measured in Freelance Day Rates, is pronounced, according to research from Tide (a small business banking company). Reporting this, the Metro says: “…men who are freelance charge an average day rate of £149.48, while women charge … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Gender pay | Tagged | Leave a comment

Freelance charter in Liverpool

Posted on May 26, 2021 by Paul Evans

A group of freelancers in Liverpool have set up a group named March for the Arts. This is the charter they are asking employers to sign up to, as well as asking Freelancers to use across the sector. There is … Continue reading →

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