Lather, Rinse, Repeat.
The writer of this article wished to remain anonymous. They are an artworker for advertising and marketing agencies in the Manchester area.
Images: Cat Gough
Growing up in the 70s and 80s the mantra was: “Work hard in school, apply yourself in college and you’ll have a job for life.”
However, within a year of my first full time job in 1990, I was facing redundancy and the country was dipping into recession. I worked on a factory assembly line for eighteen months until things started to improve a little and I found work as a packaging artworker. Redundant again within a year, I started freelancing for advertising and marketing agencies. This is how it’s been ever since: full time job, redundancy, freelancing. Lather, rinse, repeat.
I did long and short contracts, a few days here and there for lots of different companies, all the time being frugal because contracts could be cut short with no notice and I could spend months without work, living off the savings I had scraped together. During quiet months I’d spend my time up-skilling. I’ve had to spend much of my spare time and money learning, unlearning and relearning just to keep a foothold as technology and techniques change at dizzying speed.
I worked through two agencies who specialised in providing temps for advertising and marketing. They’d tell me the hourly rate and then charge the client around 50% extra on top. Since the banking crisis in 2008 my rate has remained the same, and if I try to argue for more the agencies simply give the job to another freelancer.
In 2015 one of my agencies advised me to invoice through an umbrella company, because of the IR35 legislation that was coming in ‘soon’. They handed me a list of their approved companies and I duly registered with one of them. The umbrella takes my tax and National Insurance and charges me a fee per invoice. No more scary corporation tax, and I could claim for some expenses, such as my software subscription.
I rent a one bed house — rent is expensive compared to a mortgage, but it’s the only option for someone who hasn’t got tens of thousands of pounds for a deposit on property.
When it became apparent in late Feb that we were in the grip of a pandemic, I had a horrible sinking feeling. My work flatlined completely. The government finally announced measures for employed people but it was agonising waiting to find out what they were going to do to help the self-employed. They finally announced that they would support us, but only on the production of three years’ of accounting records. But wait… I didn’t have any accounts because I was paid through the umbrella company.
I was so confused — was I an employee, or would I be classed as ‘zero hours’ worker? I knew nothing about the benefits system and my rent was due in a couple of weeks. Between February and May last year I earned an average of £2300 per month. If I was an employee of the umbrella company, then surely I could be furloughed by them. I have emailed them twice to request this, but so far they have refused. I’ve since been accepted for Universal Credit, but I dread to think about my rent and bill arrears which will not be covered. The government has offered little support for tenants, except an extension on the notice period for evictions.
Yet another recession looms by all accounts. Many companies that would book me will have folded or will be streamlining their operations. At the age of fifty-one, will I be able to get any work at all? I’d better buckle up again. It looks like we’re all in for a bumpy ride.
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