Last November, New York City adopted a ground-breaking legislation to protect freelance workers. Spearheaded by Freelancers Union, a nonprofit based in the city that advocates for freelancers, the "Freelance Isn't Free Act" was the first law of its kind in the nation that mandated contracts for freelance gigs that pay more than $800 and increased penalties for clients who pay late, or not at all.
Now, Freelancers Union, in partnership with AND CO, a company that helps freelancers and clients manage the payment process via an app, has created The Freelance Contract, a standardized service agreement to "help strong, fair work relationships get off the ground quickly."
Included in the contract are the following options, taken from the AND CO website:
- Portfolio Rights Represented: Have the option to enable portfolio rights, so you're legally allowed to show freelance work in your portfolio
- Option To Charge Cancellation Fee: Have the option to charge a fee if payment is late
- Work For Hire or Custom License: Work for hire, or simply transfer to a custom license
- Transparent Scope Structure: Have a quick, easy to understand overview of the scope of the project
- IP Handled Properly: Have confidence that all work is your IP after final payment
- Includes Non-Disclosure and More: Customizable options allow you to tailor our standard to your needs
The contract is designed for developers, consultants, designers, photographers, writers, and content creators. AND CO describes it as a living document and is relying on feedback from freelancers to improve it.
Header photo by Pedro Ribeiro Simões via Flickr. Follow @CatJohnson on Twitter.
