Freelance Redundancy

DesDesmond · 3 July 2017 at 8:53AM

hi everyone,

i’m a freelance journalist in glasgow and i was looking for some information. i’ve had a weekly column in a daily newspaper for the past nine years and nine months approx for a fixed fee, but it has now ended.

am i due any form on compensation or money for it ending?

it was entirely the newspaper’s choice and i had no input or discussion on the matter, and during the time of the column, it ran every week apart from if it fell on christmas day.

if you can give me any information, that would be much appreciated.

getmore4less · 3 July 2017 at 9:05AM

what sort of contract did you have?

presume it was not an employment one

Whatever termination terms that were in the B2B contract will apply.

DesDesmond · 3 July 2017 at 9:26AM

there was no written contract, it was more an oral agreement but survived for close to 10 years. so every week i would send the column and then be paid the same sum.

getmore4less · 3 July 2017 at 9:32AM

What was the oral agreement?

DesDesmond · 3 July 2017 at 9:34AM

that i would be paid a fixed amount of X per week for supplying the column, and like i say, it ran for almost 10 years until it was ended by the newspaper, not by myself. it was also given the same spot in the newspaper, but of course edited and looked over by staff before being printed.

there was never an issue with the standard of the work.

getmore4less · 3 July 2017 at 9:54AM

You are going to struggle to establish this was any sort of employment contract.

DesDesmond · 3 July 2017 at 10:01AM

but is there not some law where if you are providing a regular service for so long, that you are in some ways classed as an employee and entitled to redundancy?

antrobus · 3 July 2017 at 11:31AM

DesDesmond wrote: »

but is there not some law where if you are providing a regular service for so long, that you are in some ways classed as an employee and entitled to redundancy?

In a word, no.

DesDesmond · 3 July 2017 at 11:57AM

ah ok, thanks for your help, i thought there existed something in the media where people doing a regular job could not just be told they weren't need any longer, after such time spent dong it and the amount was like a regular income/fixed payment.

lincroft1710 · 3 July 2017 at 4:02PM

Unless you were a staff member (paid salary with tax/NI deducted, had paid holidays) you are just a contractor who regularly supplies a required item. If your item is no longer needed.......