Are you a freelancer? Do you know your rights?
In November, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Freelance Isn’t Free Act, which takes effect this Aug. 28 (postponed from May 20). It largely mirrors an act of the same name that took effect in New York City in 2017. The Freelance Isn’t Free Act provides a range of protections for freelancers, including journalists. Among them: If you do more than $800 in work for a client, you must have a written contract. And you must be paid no later than 30 days after your work is done.
Rafael Espinal, who in 2020 became the executive director of the Freelancers Union after a long history of advocating for the rights of freelance workers, and Gena Usenheimer, a partner in the labor and employment practice of Seyfarth Shaw LLP, a law firm with about 900 lawyers across 18 offices, outline the key things freelancers should know about their rights.