Freelancers are generally unrecognized workers; their labor is under-the-radar, yet they number in the hundreds of thousands in New York State alone. According to Eric Thurm, campaign coordinator of the National Writers Union, “freelancers are often treated as employees but without the associated protections and benefits,” therefore it has been easy for shady contractors to practice such exploitative actions as not paying them on time, causing some to miss rent payments and not be able to afford even groceries. Now, new legislation has been enacted statewide that requires contracts, on-time payments, and fines for employers such as having to pay freelancers double what they owe, among other penalties. Rafael Espinal, executive director of the Freelancers Union, called the “Freelance Isn’t Free Act” a “historic milestone for workers.”
Read the full story by Richard Khavkine for The Chief-Leader, published September 3, 2024, here: https://www.thechiefleader.com/stories/nys-freelancers-get-rights-protections,53017?
