Freelancing and remote work are different. Freelancer or remote worker? So, what is a successful defense?

With the growing number of orders and situations in which I have to find myself, I am increasingly beginning to feel the moments when instead of a freelancer I become a “remote worker”. It would seem that freelancer = remote worker, and this goes beyond the definition. But in practice this is not entirely true. A freelancer conducts his activities for the sake of freedom (the key here is “free” - free), and a remote worker (the key here is slave - does not require transfer) is more often a conditional permanent employee with a monthly/hourly rate or per-project payment, whom you cannot see in your eyes, but which can be pulled day and night, because... your collaboration assumes this and requires him to be available online at all times. It’s not entirely clear, so I’ll tell you with examples.

When I feel like a freelancer

I received a layout and brief instructions by email. Did the job. I handed it over. Immediately, without leaving the cash register, I finished off some points, received the rest of the money, and we said goodbye. Then there can only be a similar new work with the same scenario, or, in the worst case, a scenario with an “eternal debtor” (). Ideally, in such cooperation there are no unnecessary moments, such as expectations of something or someone, opinions from the outside that the customer for some reason wants to take into account after the completion of the work, any doubts that fall like a heavy burden on your shoulders. Everything is fast, clear and to the point, from receiving the order to receiving all the money within the agreed period plus maximum 1 day. I love this kind of work, it’s what allows me to do freelancing with pleasure, with a feeling of freedom, according to the principle “pass it in, finish it and forget it.”

When I feel like a remote worker

It all starts the same way. But after the project is completed, a long, long series of dragging snot across the floor begins.

Customer: Alexander, our client noticed that instead of the letter “Y” there is the letter “I” in the layout.

We’ve arrived... It turns out that you are not my client, but your client is my client, and you are, like, my client’s executor... And now we’re going to start running a long, long damaged phone and changing the letters in the html layout. ..

Customer: Alexander, our client asks why such and such blocks do not have vertical scrolling?

I: because these scrolls are not in the layout

Customer: Yes, indeed, they forgot to finish drawing. Could you finish this?

I: Certainly! Just explain at least in words what they should scroll there

Through time

Customer: our designer completed the layout and sent it to you

After a while

Customer: Alexander, our client says that there will be more edits, so let’s put it off for now and do everything together already.

And so you sit and wait for money for work that was handed in the day before yesterday, and while some client comes up with ideas for edits in the layout, on which they initially forgot to finish drawing something, wants to add an input in the contact with frills to the authorization form, or suffer something else - that's crap. And all this, with obligatory distortion, will then pass through the project manager, art director and that nice woman who is talking directly to me.

They will also ask for your phone number so that they can be in touch “during working hours” (what is it like for a freelancer? Does anyone know?), and they will ask you to make urgent edits so that they can also urgently show them to the client before he takes away his seat for an urgent business meeting, which, naturally, imposes some conditional restrictions on your freelance freedom.

In such cases, freelancing ceases to be freelancing for pleasure, but becomes remote work... With a couple of simple differences - you don’t have any rate, and from the moment you receive the order until you receive the money, the agreed period passes plus an indefinite and conditionally limited amount of time by the end client’s wishes.

This happens mainly in collaboration with offices with 5+ people on staff, and whose average bill for a project amounts to a decent amount. When working with such offices, it is quite important not to forget to multiply the standard cost of work by some coefficient from 1.5 to 2. In the end, the office does not care, because this premium will fall on the client, and this money will compensate you for the time and nerves of dragging snot across the floor.

Many people working remotely call themselves freelancers, others, working on the Internet, say that this belief is not true.
To understand this dispute and resolve How is remote work different from freelancing?, let's try to put everything in its place.

Let's start with the fact that freelancing is really distant work, which provides for remote earnings.

In general, the term freelancer has existed for a very long time and it means that a person engaged in this activity interacts with various employers and performs the work assigned to him.

While remote work can only be performed for one employer. Therefore this is the only difference between a freelancer and a remote worker.

The difference between a freelancer and a remote worker

For example, a person who writes texts for various web masters and site administrators, this is a freelancer, because he has several employers. And a person who, for example, worked in an office, and after that was transferred to remote work and now performs all its functions without leaving home, this is a remote worker.

You can argue about these concepts for hours, because... they are closely related and reflect almost the same thing, but there are still certain differences, so it is impossible to say that these are the same terms.

By and large, freelancing can be classified as a kind of type of remote work, which represents activities with a narrower focus.

Define employee activity quite difficult, perhaps working with several employers, but by highlighting one of them, you will soon stop be a freelancer, transfer to your employer on a permanent basis and become a remote worker.

You can argue with our conclusions and beliefs, but after studying all the intricacies of these terms, most likely you will have to agree, because We analyzed this topic very carefully, looking at the details.

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From time to time, many office workers have the idea of ​​going freelance.

There are plenty of reasons for this step: some people find it difficult to start their duties at 9 am; others are unhappy that the workday ends too late; Still others also need to complete an obligatory part of their personal affairs during the day, while others simply dream of not having observant colleagues behind them. But is it really necessary to break all ties with your current place of work and join the ranks of civilians? Despite certain similarities, the concepts of “freelancing” and “remote work” are seriously different from each other.

1. Registration as a company staff

A specialist working remotely is employed by the company - this is the fundamental difference between remote work and freelancing. Accordingly, all corporate standards apply to the remote employee, and an employment contract is concluded with him, which spells out his job responsibilities. A remote worker can also have a flexible schedule, but this is not a prerequisite. The employer has the right to regulate the hours when he must be in touch at all times, for example, via mobile phone, email or Skype. If an employee does not communicate with the employer or clients within the time period specified in the contract, this may be perceived as absence from work and punished accordingly. A freelancer is most often not given such a strict time frame, since such clauses are usually not specified in the contract. The hours of work of a “free” specialist are not regulated - he is limited only by the deadlines for submitting finished work or interim reports.

A specialist working remotely is employed by the company - this is the fundamental difference between remote work and freelancing.

2. Social security

Since an employment contract is concluded with a remote employee, he also receives a certain degree of social security. The employer is obliged to provide him with paid leave, not require work on weekends and holidays, and also establishes a fixed working day and pays sick leave. It is clear that in a number of companies there may be significant deviations from these requirements, but a remote worker still has a document with which he can go to court if he believes that the employer is violating his labor rights. Vacations and days off for a freelancer are the result of a personal decision, since his success and financial profit depend entirely on his ability to work. Often the price to pay for such freedom is the absence of vacations and weekends, irregular working hours, and the need to work on holidays.

3. Achievement of targets set by the company

To maintain a permanent job and receive bonuses, a remote employee must meet a certain set of planned targets on a monthly basis. He has no right to refuse this due to the remoteness of his work. Often such norms are specified in the employment contract or additional agreements to it. If a remote worker does not meet the targets, he may be fined or fired. A freelancer in this sense has a certain freedom, although it is mostly an appearance. He sets a certain level of performance indicators for himself. If during, for example, a month he has fewer completed orders or new clients, then he will suffer losses, that is, he will have to answer to himself.

Vacations and days off for a freelancer are the result of a personal decision, since his success and financial profit depend entirely on his ability to work.

4. The need to comply with corporate standards

Often those who don’t want to meet overly stringent corporate standards apply to become freelancers. Most often, these are representatives of creative professions who need a sufficient degree of freedom to work effectively. The absence of a dress code, mandatory speech cliches on behalf of the company in a conversation with a client, the opportunity not to participate in the inevitable corporate trainings and team building - all these are undoubted bonuses that any freelancer can boast of. A remote employee, at least partially, must comply with and comply with corporate norms and prohibitions, and adjust his opinion in accordance with the policies of the company in which he is a full-time employee. Although compliance with professional “shop” standards is still mandatory for both some and others.

5. Lack of free choice of tasks

Any freelancer, upon achieving a certain “promotion” of his name, can choose the orders that are most interesting to him and refuse unattractive projects. Of course, this requires some time, during which a beginner has to grab onto all the offers, but the result is worth it. An employee transferred to remote work does not have this choice. Even if he is a representative of a creative profession, and the employer receives an uninteresting task, the remote worker must complete it - this is part of the responsibilities specified in the employment contract. His “free” colleague can easily refuse, without feeling bound by any obligations.

6. Having a permanent job

An undoubted bonus of a remote employee, as opposed to a freelancer, is the guaranteed amount of constant work. Yes, in the end, the freelancer also comes to regular customers on whom he can count, but this is a matter of time and skill. A remote worker can accurately calculate his expenses, since he knows how much work he needs to do monthly and how this will be expressed in salary equivalent. The initial instability of the volume of orders and income level is what most often stops people from completely switching to freelancing. In addition, a remote specialist, subject to the terms of the employment contract, has the right to expect that the company will continue its relationship with him throughout the entire validity period of the document. In the case of a freelancer, the customer can find a more profitable contractor at any time.

7. Work on a portfolio or resume

Many freelancers are deservedly proud of their portfolio, where every item is evidence of their professionalism. A freelancer first of all promotes his own name, promotes himself as a brand. If he draws up an agreement with the customer, he can subsequently use it as confirmation of his authorship in a specific work. A freelancer is interested in cooperation with well-known companies, since he promotes himself as a specialist through famous brands. As for the remote worker, he works for his company. His professionalism can be reflected in his resume, within the framework of his activities in a particular organization. In addition, there is often a situation where the creative works of a remote employee are not his property, since under the terms of the contract with the company they are considered products created as part of an official assignment. Although similar agreements are often concluded with freelancers.

The consulting company J'son & Partners Consulting and the Bitrix24 service published a forecast that says: 20% of working Russians will work remotely in 2020. And in the US, according to McKinsey, already about 35% of employees are remote workers.

Statistical studies also confirm the growth of freelancing. Analysts call freelancers the fastest growing group in the workforce. For example, in the EU from 2004 to 2013 the number of freelancers increased by 45%. This is the average percentage; in the Netherlands, for example, the growth will be 93%, that is, the number of self-employed persons has almost doubled.

In some segments of the economy, the number of freelancers is so large that it is impossible to ignore them: for example, in Europe, 25% of people working in the field of science and technology are freelancers. The arts and entertainment sector accounts for 22% of total employment. In total, there were about 9 million freelancers in Europe in 2013. Now, we must think, the number has exceeded 10 million, since all analysts call the freelancing vector upward.

As for Russia, it is impossible to calculate the exact number of freelancers. Russian freelancers prefer to work in the shadows, in the gray sector of the economy. Only a small percentage register as individual entrepreneurs - these are, as a rule, the most successful ones, working on large projects. The same applies to the CIS.

However, there are some numbers. For example, in the IT sector in Russia, 35% of workers are freelancers.

We live in a revolutionary era. The era of remote work and freelancing is coming. But are these two ways of organizing labor the same thing or not?

How is remote work different from freelancing?

Many people confuse these two concepts. For those who look at freelancing and remote work from the outside, the difference is practically invisible: both freelancers and “remote workers” sit at home and “do nothing.” For those who are stewing in this cauldron inside, it is also not always clear where the line lies between ulalyonka and freelancing.

Let's dot the i's - or at least try to do so.

Freelancing is self-employment. The freelancer himself looks for customers, negotiates with them on terms and methods of payment.

Remote work is a permanent job in which the employer and employee interact via the Internet. Periodic office visits are possible. Such work is of an official nature (with the execution of a contract and work book).

Classic remote work is stable work, usually under an employment contract, but from home. For example, a programmer, or in some cases a lawyer or accountant, can switch to remote work. Remote work, in essence, is the work of call center operators and online store consultants.

Remote work can be carried out either according to a free or strict schedule. For example, call center operators must be on duty for 6 to 8 hours. Programmers, designers, and SMM specialists usually create their own schedule. As for lawyers and accountants, it all depends on the nature of the work and agreements with the employer.

The key difference between these two types of employment is that you cannot “jump” from remote work. The freelancer himself decides whether to take an order from a client or not. Of course, there may be long-term agreements with regular clients, but still, even a busy and in-demand freelancer is freer than a remote worker. For example, a student writer can tell a regular client: “Sorry, this time I won’t be able to write you an essay to order, but next month you can contact me again!” (there is a risk of losing a client, but a freelancer, as a rule, has more than one; and most importantly, the risk of losing a client is a problem only for the freelancer, and not for the hiring company). But an accountant who manages the company’s affairs remotely cannot arrange an unplanned vacation. As for call center operators or online store consultants, even at home they have to adhere to a strict schedule.

Russia, as always, is difficult to understand with the mind...

Everything seems clear, right? But in Russia, remote work, like almost any other type of activity, can also be unofficial. In this second case, remote work is similar to freelancing, but differs in the regular volume of tasks and regular payments. The specific features of the Russian economy, in which almost half of the citizens in one way or another conceal at least part of their income, do not allow a clear distinction between freelancing and remote work based only on the criterion of concluding an employment contract.

For in-demand specialists, freelancing often actually develops into remote work. This happens to professionals who are trusted by large clients to carry out serious projects.

How to work more profitably? Remote work is, of course, more stable. Freelancing is freer. What do you think?

In connection with amendments to the legislation, such a category as “remote workers” has officially appeared. At the same time, for some reason these amendments often began to be called the “law on freelancers.” We will discuss in this article why remote workers and freelancers have nothing in common with each other, and how specialists who earn money via the Internet are generally classified legally.

Any of the specialists who receive income via the Internet can absolutely clearly be classified into one of the following categories:

• entrepreneurs: freelancers producing work to order; owners of income-generating websites; information businessmen; coaches and consultants
• remote employees employed
• individuals– authors who sell the rights to their finished works (for example, on microstocks).

A remote employee essentially remains the same employee as any office employee, with the only difference being that he constantly works via the Internet and is not physically in the office, and his daily routine can be set freely for him, provided that all duties are completed. His work book is filled out at his request. In all other respects - the same employment contract, salary, payment of taxes by the employer and payments to social funds, vacation and sick leave. This is, of course, if everything is officially formalized. If a remote employee works on the basis of only a verbal agreement, then in general he will still be considered an employee of this company, since the relationship is essentially an employment one. In general, legally everything will be the same as with an officially unregistered office employee, or a construction worker, or a salesperson in a store.

Freelancers are not just people who take orders and carry them out remotely, they are also independently responsible for paying taxes, calculating future pensions, health insurance; they cannot have official vacations or sick leave. The freelancer and the customer resolve official disputes within the framework of arbitration proceedings (arbitration court), in which legal entities and themselves settle disputes. Such activity is considered entrepreneurial, and in theory it is necessary to register an individual entrepreneur or legal entity. Often freelancers prefer not to formalize their activities in any way, although this is illegal. However, with small amounts of income, it is unlikely that anyone will be interested in them, and thousands of people have been fulfilling orders for years without making any contributions to the budget or submitting reports. It is especially rare for those who combine freelancing with regular work activities, for example, in an office, to register officially. Here, of course, everyone decides for himself whether he needs the official status of an entrepreneur or not.

The difference between an unofficially unregistered freelancer and an equally unofficially working remote employee may not be obvious, but a distinction can usually be made.
If a person primarily: performs tasks for only one client, with whom he is bound by an obligation to be at the workplace at a predetermined time or to perform a certain quota of tasks; such cooperation is long-term and sustainable and takes up all of this person’s working time (or the vast majority of it); and such relationships, if they happened offline, could easily be qualified as labor, then this is a remote employee.

If a person: has a number of clients from whom he accepts one-time projects or regular assignments, but does not provide him with a constant 100% workload and leaves time for developing a client base and accepting other orders, even if “in line” upon completion of the current project ; his activity can be called entrepreneurial (that is, independent and aimed at systematically making a profit from performing work or providing services), then he is a freelancer.

But illustrators/photographers/copywriters who sell their work on stock sites remain simply individuals who receive profit from the sale of non-exclusive copyrights, so we can distinguish a third category of Internet workers - “microstockers”.

In conclusion, here is a small summary table that clearly shows that a freelancer and a remote employee are completely different categories.