WHY do you wake up at the crack of dawn, drag yourself out of bed, dress and brave the morning rush hour traffic? To work of course, so you can afford to pay your insurance, utility bills, and house and car loans, apart from putting food on the table. For that, you would expect a remuneration that is commensurate with your qualifications, experience and effort.
As for freelancers, although we do not work on a regular basis, we work equally hard, if not more, whenever there is a job. However, some people think that freelancers can survive on air and promises alone. I have friends who are commercial artists, photographers and writers who have at one time or another been asked to work for no pay in return for having their work promoted under dubious terms and for future opportunities to work with these people again.
I received an email a few days ago inviting me to contribute articles for a website, which purportedly could showcase my work to millions of people in Southeast Asia. The email further suggested that I could contribute one or two articles per month. If I was interested, I was to submit an original piece of up to 1,200 words accompanied by at least three photos.
From the way the email was worded, I had a faint suspicion there would not be any financial remuneration for contributions. To be sure, I wrote back to enquire about the rate they pay for articles and the mode of payment. True enough, the reply came back saying that they do not pay for articles and added that having my writings published on their website would boost my online presence in the Asian market.
On average, I spend eight hours completing an article of about 1,000 words, longer if I get writer’s block, which can be quite often. This does not include the hours I spent on conceptualising the piece and research. To ask me to work two full days a month without any tangible compensation reeks of exploitation, especially when the website runs advertisements and appears to be managed by a well-structured team.
Boosting online presence in lieu of payment cannot feed mouths. That kind of exposure cannot fund the purchase of a laptop and software for me to do my work, not to mention the need for a digital camera to capture photographs to go with the articles. And then there are bills for an Internet connection and electricity.
This is not an isolated case. There have been previous instances of email invitations of a similar nature where revenue-making websites tried their luck to source for original and fresh content with no intention of paying for any of it. They must think writers are gullible or desperate for exposure.
The same situation happened when it comes to training on disability equality. There were a number of times when organisations expected me to conduct workshops free of charge. This is especially true when it comes to work in the field of disability. The thinking is that since disabled people are recipients of charity, anything related to it should be done on the basis of charity too.
Early this year, I was invited by a college to facilitate a one-day course on disability equality. When I indicated that there is a fee involved, they quickly mentioned that they were not aware they had to pay and have no allocation for it. I have not heard from them since.
The one-day workshops that I run comprise six hours of intensive learning. However, preparations begin well before I stand before the participants. Each workshop is different depending on the requirements and goals of the organisation that engages me. I usually need at least one week to prepare the programme, compile the training materials and have them printed.
I charge a standard rate for business concerns that want to improve their service to disabled people or make their premises accessible. This is a fair deal since it will increase their customer base and make their business more inclusive. What I make from these undertakings is utilised to support the other side of my work where I normally run workshops for free for voluntary organisations except when I have co-facilitators doing the training with me. In those instances, I charge half the usual rate or a nominal sum to cover the co-facilitator’s time and transportation expenses.
For each time that someone tries to pull a fast one on me when it comes to such matters, there have been others who appreciate what I have done. There was once when I was paid more than the fee agreed upon. When I pointed that out, I was told it was because I had spent a longer time than expected on running a training session. Even the organisation that had funded all the courses I attended for last 10 years always pays a generous honorarium for the training sessions I conduct for them.
All said, everyone should be compensated for their work, regardless of whether the job looks easy or not. It takes money and years of blood, sweat and tears to hone specialised skills. On top of that, we have financial commitments just like everyone else. As freelancers, all we are asking for are fair wages, not promises of glamour and glitter. That is the least anyone can do to show respect and appreciation for our effort and expertise.