Freelancers: The modern mercenaries

In the 90s, I was working at an institution going through a wave of layoffs. Many employees were afraid they'd lose their jobs to people like me, willing to freelance on fixed-term or service contracts to gain experience. Feeling the tension, I attended a meeting organized by the works council. The chairman launched into a rant: "Freelancers", he told us, "are self-employed, so they don't get social security benefits, like a company subsidised pension or unemployment compensation, and don't have a vested interest in the good of the company. They'll take the money and run, and ruin your job and our social system."

What freelancers give

I was shocked. I had no job security, and my prospects were precarious. The only capital I had was inside my head, and I was applying it like an entrepreneur for the good of the institution, knowing that only good work would get me more work. How was I a threat to the social system? I was paying statutory health insurance out of my own pocket and making provisions for old age by contributing to the public pension fund. Not to mention the taxes I was paying, like everyone else. And I had invested heavily in my education, and was continuing to invest, without any support from an employer. Paid holidays or sick leave? In your dreams! Yet in this man's eyes I was no more than a mercenary exploiting the system.

Why companies hire freelancers

His point of view was understandable. Outsourcing work lets employers handle staff costs flexibly, which at first glance undermines job security. But under economic pressure, jeopardized companies often have no other option. They can't always afford to award permanent contracts for part-time work because of the social contributions they would have to pay. This is why the number of freelance jobs is growing and has become a way of life for the legions of journalists, copy editors, programmers, media designers, consultants, trainers, translators and tour guides who form the backbone of our knowledge-based economy.

What freelancers get

It wouldn't work if it wasn't good for freelancers, too, providing a high degree of income security and longterm job stability through the diversity of contracts. The lifestyle also allows for unfettered independence to choose the most attractive jobs. According to a recent survey, 70 percent of freelancers say they are in fact happier than they were back when they were salaried employees. So sorry, Mr. Chairman, but I'm afraid freelancers are here to stay!

Before you go, review the work-related vocabulary used above on the next page.

Anne Hodgson