Feb 13, 2020
Today’s show is a bit shorter than usual because I’m tired. Not physically tired as much as mentally tired. I get enough sleep—I’m really good at prioritizing that—but you know as a freelance business owner that your brain is always on. It’s hard to stop thinking about your business.
Plus, February is my busiest month. But what really got me off track last week was the infuriating and frustrating news that the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2474, a bill that, at first glance, doesn’t seem to have much to do with freelancing. It’s a pro-union bill heavily supported by Democrats (who control the House), which is how it passed easily. However, the bill defines independent contractors in such restrictive terms that it would require most of our clients to hire us as employees or not to use us at all. This would affect ALL independent contractors and freelancers in ANY industry, which is why we need to fight against his bill.
If you’ve heard of AB5 in California, which became law this year, H.R. 2474 is similar—except AB5 actually has some exceptions for certain industries. The national bill does not, making it much more dangerous. The bill comes up in the Senate next (Senate bill 1306), and while it will likely not pass in the Republican-controlled Senate, that doesn’t mean we can slack off. We have to educate our representatives and senators about the dangers of this bill because a future Democrat-controlled Senate and House would likely pass this bill. A Democrat president would sign it. A Republican president would likely veto it, so then it would depend on whether Congress had the votes to override the veto.
Please check out the links below and start educating yourself about these national bills. I promise to have much more about this and what we can do in a future episode. For now, all of this is to say that I was frustrated, angry and mentally drained last week as the House was voting. So, I went off social media and email all weekend, which gave me a much-needed mental break. Plus, my husband kept reminding me that yes, I have to fight this bill, but I didn’t have to do it immediately, not necessarily that day.
In this podcast, I try to provide you inspiration and tips every week so you can build a successful freelance business. But I want you to know that I struggle too. I procrastinate. I stress about money. I definitely stress about the world around us—and then feel guilty for turning off the news and burying my head in the sand.
But I also really love where I am in my life. And a huge part of that is because I’m my own boss. Freelancing has given me the freedom to do what I want, when I want, how I want. Freelancing really is about freedom, and I treasure it, even when it can be stressful.
Biz Bite: Practice professional greetings and goodbyes
The Bookshelf: “If You Lived Here You’d Be Home By Now” by Christopher Ingraham
Resources:
Episode #37 of Deliberate Freelancer: California’s Harmful New Freelancer Law, with Randy Dotinga
An archive of AB5 news articles
A compilation of personal stories from California freelancers about how AB5 is hurting them.
HR 2474 bill text and actions by Congress
Senate version of the bill, S. 1306
Fight for Freelancers New York Facebook group
Fight for Freelancers New Jersey Facebook group
Follow freelance writer Kim Kavin’s blog—she’s been fighting against these bills for several months.