Freelance Does Not Mean Employee
Recently I had an experience that can only be chalked up to a client who had troubles separating freelance from employee. I worked on a project, handed in the project. That’s where it got weird. The client called – more than once and at odd hours. Needed me ASAP. That would be fine if I’d been around when the calls came in. Then the inevitable – the mention of when I needed to be available for this client to meet his schedule. Yes folks – I was actually told I had to be by the phone on a certain number of days at certain times of the day.
Don’t we call that an employee status? The reason I freelance is so I can do the job and do whatever else I need to do – in this case, it was after-hours English tutoring with a foreign student. I have since dropped that client for other reasons, as well. But it bears repeating – unless you are being compensated for your availability, you are not bound by it. Mind you, if you agree to a deadline and instead you’re at the beach, you’re not holding up your end of things. Let’s put it this way – don’t accept a job you cannot deliver on time. Also, don’t accept a job from someone who is not going to compensate you for putting time restrictions on you.
Lori:
That’s a fascinating phenomenon, isn’t it?
I think some places haven’t quite embraced the freelance concept… maybe they never will.
I have an idea for you. Call up their business at 1:00 a.m. (their time) and leave a message demanding that they are there when YOU are at work!
Angelique
Oh, yeah, a 40% additional charge goes into a quote for someone who expects me to be available at specific hours.
If I want to write the article at 2 AM, that’s when I do it. I don’t need to talk about it.
That’s why we freelance — so we’re on our schedules, not theirs.
I’ve never had a client ask that I be available at specific hours… I can’t imagine!
I don’t know that I’d agree to it, even if I charged an additional fee. I left the corporate world because I grew tired of watching the clock. I have no desire to go back.
This is a telecommuting position, not a freelancing position!
Yeah, I’d tell those people that I’d gladly be ‘on call’ for whatever time they needed me, but because I’m essentially working for them during those periods, I’d have to charge them my regular fee for the time.
I’m sure that would put a stop to it.