For freelancing to help climate-proof your income,
this contract may help.

You may have found climate-proof employment and mobility through freelance work, but will it provide reliable income to pay the bills? As a freelancer, you are essentially an independent contractor, and nonpayment from clients is a potential source of instability. In fact, although many freelancers actually wind up making more than they did with their previous employer, 7 out 10 freelancers report facing late or nonpayment.

Last year, New York City adopted groundbreaking legislation to protect their freelance worker’s rights by mandating contracts for freelance gigs that pay more than $800 and increasing penalties for clients who pay late, or not at all. Now, the Freelancers Union has partnered with AND CO, an app-based company that helps freelancers and clients manage the payment process, and created ‘The Freelance Contract’, a free standardized service agreement to “help strong, fair work relationships get off the ground quickly.”

Use The Freelance Contract template to create your own agreement with a future (or current!) client. Add your own stipulations such as having your portfolio rights represented or charging a late fee if necessary. You’ve taken steps to climate-proof your career, now work on payment-proofing it.

Next time: Unionizing the gig economy.