Why it's better to be a freelancer and not an employee

The difference is how they treat you: When you're employed, you're the wife 👰🏻 - when you freelance, you're the mistress 💃🏻.

👰🏻 Benefits of being employed aka the wife

As the wife, you get all the security: regular income, pension contribution, company benefits.

Security

If you know me, you will know that I think that having more job security as an employee compared to a freelancer is a myth. Because in reality, a company will kick you out if you don't deliver the work they expect from you or if there is a cheaper option to do your work. The recent mass-layoffs by companies like Amazon, Facebook and Google proof that.

Paid annual leave

That's probably the one thing I miss the most: Paid holidays. But also, in the UK you only get 28 days including bank holidays. Everything above that is a luxury. You also have to ask for permission first, you can't just book your trip. And if you want to have more days off, even when it's unpaid, you have to ask for permission. In real life, it's like when the wife has to ask the husband for permission if she plans to go on a holiday with some friends.

Company benefits

When you're the employee/wife, you will get promised a great life together. All the Christmas parties, team bonding events, cake on your birthday and all that jazz. But once you face reality, you have to do the majority of the work. In an office, this means all the stuff people don't want to do but someone has to do it. In life it means you have to do the chores, like laundry and cleaning up your partner's mess.

As a wife, you have to regularly meet your partner's family members, even if you don't get along with them. You have to remember everyones names and birthdays. Which is the same as an employee: You have to hang out with colleagues that you don't like, be present for their birthday lunches and pretend you care when they get a promotion.

💃🏻 Benefits of being a freelancer aka the mistress

As a freelancer or mistress, you're the secret. People don't like to say that they had someone from outside the company help out with work. You might not get invited to the team lunches or the Christmas party, because you're not really part of the team.

No company politics

This also means that you won't get involved in company politics. If Jamie made out with Ashley during the last company event, you don't have to deal with the gossip. If Karen doesn't like Josh and keeps favouring Jake for a project, you won't have to get involved. You can concentrate on doing your job.

Better compensation

Let's be honest: the mistress usually gets better presents. As a freelancer, it shows in form of better pay. My freelance rate was 4x of what I earned as an employee. Yes, you won't get pension contribution, but the higher day rate compensates for that. You also won't get company benefits. But who really cared about the free fruit bowl or the ping pong table and bean bags anyway?

More choice

As a freelancer aka mistress, you get to choose what days you want to come to the office. You can also say no to projects you don't want to work on. If you decide to work on someone else's projects, that's totally fine too (unless you signed a no compete clause). You can choose what you want to do as a freelancer.

You can leave at any time

You don't have to stick around when it gets tough. Sometimes, investors commit fraud or pull out their money. Or investment doesn't come in. Yes, that's also usually the time when they get rid of the freelancers before they look into getting rid of the employees. Because it's easier to do that legally, notice periods are short for freelancers and often you don't have to give reasons why the relationship ends.

Better leave before shit hits the fan and find yourself a new sugar daddy.

However, when it comes to that stage, you won't want to stick around anyway. If the company doesn't have cash flow and you continue working, who knows if they'll come out at the other side of the tunnel and will be able to pay you. So better leave before shit hits the fan and find yourself a new sugar daddy.

You have more control

As a freelancer (or mistress) you can choose when and where to work from. You want to go on holiday for two months? Cool, just let your client know you're not available in that time. You won't have to ask for permission to take those days off.

You want to work from a different city during the Christmas period? Fine, just do it.

Personally, I just cannot imagine ever going back to becoming a full time employer. I love being a freeancer aka the mistress. But to clarify: we're talking about work and freelancing here. Please don't send any creepy messages.

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