Join us to Petition
For temporary income protection fund for freelancers.
On Friday, the UK Government announced its relief package to help the self-employed. Unfortunately it doesn't look like it’s going to deliver for a number of freelancers.
That's why we are throwing our weight behind the petition for creation of an emergency fund for freelancers set up by IPSE (The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) and the Creative Industries Federation.
As you might be aware, one section of freelancers that are likely to slip through the cracks in the Coronavirus support are Limited Company freelancers who pay themselves through dividends and take a low PAYE amount. These are the majority of the freelancers working in the creative and tech sector (along with other sectors who use highly skilled contractors like you).
Whilst we applaud the UK Government's efforts in building plans and funds to bring stability to the wider economy during this time, hundreds of thousands of freelancers are likely to miss out and we hope more can be done.
Join us in signing the petition here
Further information about relief packages
Regarding further information on the options available, the first place anyone should start is the Government’s dedicated site to Coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus. In it you will see a specific section called ‘Employment and Financial Support’.
But in terms of what this means for you, whether you’re a Limited Company freelancer, Sole Trader or operate under an umbrella, we think Martin Lewis is probably the straightest talker out there. He has been on the front line of deciphering what each of the Government’s packages are about, as well as clarifying directly with them as queries come through. His latest assessment of support for the self-employed is the best we've seen.
Check out his latest video on the subject below and dig deeper on his site MoneySavingExpert.com
Make people aware you are available
Finally, we are working on ways to get more clients aware of the YunoJuno freelancers available for remote work, and we are officially opening up YJ to be UK wide. That means if a company in Edinburgh registers, they can book you for a project, just like a London-based company can.
As an interim solution, just so we can get more companies aware of your availability, we’ve created some assets you can post on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter. Examples to the right, and you can download them here.
When you post an image, you can then share the link below, and when a client comes in to book you directly, all they have to do is put your name, and their details, and we will do the legwork to get you in that booking.
Copy & Paste this link: https://freelancing.typeform.com/to/f0DVIH
| Old rule (2021 Independent Contractor Rule) | New Rule (Effective March 11, 2024) | |
|---|---|---|
| Basis of classification | Relied on a simpler, more straightforward approach that may not fully capture the complexity of modern work relationships. | Restores a multifactor "economic reality" test that considers a wider range of factors to determine employment status. |
| Legal consistency | Criticised for deviating from established legal precedent and potentially leading to more misclassifications. | Aims to align closely with longstanding legal precedent, offering more clarity and consistency in classification decisions. |
| Impact on workers | Concerns were raised that it might make it easier to classify workers as independent contractors, potentially denying them employment benefits. | Seeks to reduce the risk of misclassification, ensuring workers who should be classified as employees receive the benefits and protections that they're entitled to receive. |
| Guidance for employers | Provide a simpler framework for employers to classify workers, which could lead to broader interpretations and confusion. | Offers detailed guidance through the economic reality test, aiming to provide a clearer path for proper classification and reduce misclassifications. |
.png)
