Freelance translators confront frequently a nonpayment situation. They fight all against the nonpayment of invoices previously establiched by the employer.
On 27 October 2016, the world changed for freelancers,
at least for freelancers in New York. New York City Council passed the Freelance Isn’t Free Act.
Whether translator or not, any other kind of freelancer will remember a story of nonpayment when you input all efforts to meet the deadlines of a project and Oops...nonpayment. The story continues with making several phone calls, sending legal-sounding. Very often you are not paid as the amount is small and the employer disagrees to pay because they spend more money during wire transfer.
How to fight and what to do?
The Freelancers Union has created the world’s longest invoice, which freelancers around the world with unpaid bills have contributed to. At the time of writing, the total stands at $4,194,581, with the Freelancers Union revealing that 71% of freelancers struggle to get paid.
New York provides an unprecedented protections to freelancers chasing payment of their invoices. As an unprecedented piece of legislation, the Freelance Isn’t Free Act may well serve as an inspiration to other countries. Meanwhile you should follow some actions which may help you to struggle against the nonpayment and provide some protection to your work.
Here some useful tips;
• Never start your job until you have not established an invoice with the company you are working with.
• Get acquainted with the payment system. How you are paid? Via wire transfer or PayPal? If the amount is small and the employer should do a wire transfer, you may lose more than you earn.
• If you should receive a small amount, establish a minimum price taking into consideration the rate that may work during banking or other payment system transfer.
• Refuse the small jobs with ridicule amounts as you will work more than to earn.
• Get acquainted with the payment systems and your country category among the receiver's and list carefully the payment fees.
• Always start wot work with some amount of payment in advance.
• Choose a technique when you have finished your work. Do not deliver the whole work to the employer waiting through several months the promised amount.
• Before to start to work, always check employer payablity status through the web.