If you have paid any attention to the financial world, chances are you’ve noticed that it’s looking good for freelancers and freelance agencies around the world. With demand for cheap work on the rise, freelancers are a natural choice for employers. That being said, while freelancing may be great for companies looking to save money, it isn’t always great for the freelancers themselves. Not only do they face low pay and a sometimes unstable workflow, but without corporate benefits, it can be challenging to afford basic necessities such as banking services and health insurance.
Thankfully, some advocates for freelancers have begun to notice that, and may in the future work to try to develop programs to fill those gaps.
Banking Services
Most of us tend to take having access to banking services for granted. However, if you freelance, you may have a hard time getting banks to trust you to be able to pay back a loan. This can hinder your ability to buy a home or car. That’s why more people are giving thought to develop banks which cater to freelancers’ specific needs.
Health Insurance
When you freelance, you may not have health insurance because your employer typically gives it. This can be a big problem when it comes to acquiring health insurance, especially in the United States, where health insurance can be prohibitively expensive. Without the state health insurance policies offered by other developed nations, US freelancers are incredibly vulnerable here.
Shoring up this gap should be a focus for those looking to develop programs for freelancers. Germany already offers unique freelance health insurance collectives for those working there on a freelance visa.
Retirement Plans
One of the great signs of human progress we have seen over the course of the past century has been retirement and pension plans. It means more people are living long enough to retire, and society is prosperous enough to provide for the elderly. Closing up the freelancing gap and providing for freelancers as they grow older in the coming decades will be necessary.
Freelancers deserve more protections for their work, and may well get them as their role in our economy continues to grow.