The trends of working remotely, working from home and in a comfort zone have hit the market for more than a decade now. Employees once ridiculed and fired from their jobs are now posh businessmen online just because of the passion for the profession they chose. The times of tough office work and strict rules and regulations of the tables are over. Young adults are polishing themselves to excellence in their fields, building their communities from nothing but the internet. Social Media has helped thousands and millions of people get a work-life through its unlimited portals and connections. The communities working online are not only helping themselves to stand, but also assist the youth of today to get up and work smart and efficiently.
Laws of a Freelancer
Freelancers have the complete right of working in a safe and secure environment just like employees according to Employment Solicitors Manchester, but freelancers are self-employed. They must get his pay regarding the job they have done for the person online. Legal protection in terms of the contract between two people is a basic right of a freelancer. Frauds and scams are strictly forbidden in the eyes of law and there is a penalty for it as well. Freelancers have PMB (a message inbox) on the website they work on as proof of the conversation and contract. A freelancer has the basic rights of a worker at least.
Coming Down to the Question
Employment is working under someone for financial compensation and freelance work is the same. However, the rights and laws for them are not as such as those for an employed person. Freelance is all about negotiating and communicating with general people who pay you for your time. The freelancer sets an hourly rate or per month rate of his choice with a few milestones in between and then sends the work on time. The procedure is all at one’s leisure. It can take up to a few days working for someone and then get paid for your expertise and time. So the basic answer here is no. A freelancer is not an employee, he/she is self-employed.
Fact: Approximately 2 million freelancers in the state of the UK are self-employed. They work for people overseas as well as natives.
How are Freelancers, Different From Employees?
They work for themselves while the employees work for their firms or companies. Where a freelancer meets and greets different parties, companies and communities at work every day, an employee stays put to his same firm for the next unpredictable future years. There are no minimum wage rights in the eyes of law for freelancers because they are not employees. Laws that are implemented on the employees are not the same for freelancers. There are multiple perks of being a freelancer, working with three or more employers at once, bidding and competing for new challenges every day, and being paid according to the worth of the project. The rates, milestones, contracts and bids the freelancer sets for himself is all part of his / her job. The websites offering jobs and projects are available for anyone, but only a proper freelancer will have the ability to fulfill the project perfectly.
Elaborate on the Self-Employed Part
Self-employment is like choosing the work niche for yourself, based on your requirement and flexibility. Projects can be long, heavy and time taking or small, quick and short-term. People nowadays, prefer working on their own, making their chain of working people instead of working under the command of someone else. This is self-employment. You are only answerable to yourself and your client once you set foot in the freelancing platform.
If a Freelancer Gets a Project, Does it mean he is one of the Employed?
A freelancer bids on 14 projects maximum per day from which he gets his hands on the best 6 to 7 if his bid was attractive. He is not an employee because of winning those bids; he is working for the respective client on a project basis. Once the project ends, the deal ends and the freelancer gets his salary. As it takes a whole month for an employee to get their hands on his paycheck, whereas, a freelancer can earn better, faster and per day based on the workload he finds for himself on the internet. As said before, a freelancer is self-employed and he can work on his terms and time. There is no hassle in freelancing other than providing the finished project on time.
The Tax Method
The difference here is about paying taxes and all. The UK taxes work with freelancers differently as they pay their taxes and NICs. Depending upon the salary of the employee and the payroll taxes imposed on the employers are deducted from them according to the percentage of salaries they provide the people working under them. Whereas freelancers pay income taxes in the UK after deducting permissible business expenses. They need to file a personal assignment on the tax return to get a bill.
The End of the Line
Freelancers and employees are not in the same line because of the methodology of work they perform. Freelancing is a brilliant way of earning money quicker and related to your expertise. The majority of people you interact and work with, the more social media presence there is to avail. Social platforms and freelance websites are the easiest money-making places that you can take maximum advantage of. No matter where you go for your holidays and vacations, there is no limit to your vacations if you want an extended time for comfort. Even if you are not at home, find a place with strong Wi-Fi, a device to work on and you are all good to go. Millions of people worldwide are shifting to smart jobs and trendier methods to get work online. You can work alone and when the jobs overfill your plate, you can help others get jobs as well to create a chain of working people, but the government will not count them as employed.