Why mental health matters more for freelancers - pt2
Let's kick off with why. Simon Sinek would be proud.
I’m slowly rebuilding our resources section, in a more structured manner to make it easier for freelancers to understand the importance of mental health, find resources to tackle specific issues, and put things in place to take care of their own wellbeing.
I’ll be posting new resources, guides, topics and tools, which will eventually build into a full resource library, covering a broad range of topics. Sort of like a book, but that you get a new chapter every week(?).
If you’re subscribed now - you’ll get every chapter. If you join half-way-thru, you’ll be able to go back and browse the archives, or see the resources on leapers.co too.
We’ll also be including stories from fellow freelancers about their journey - so if you’d like to share, please get in touch.
Let’s begin with why this matters so much.
Why mental health at work matters even more when you're freelancing - pt2.
Last week, we looked at the single most important reason why mental health at work matters more for the self-employed - because without you, there is no work, there is no business.
Taking care of yourself is a critical part of your business plan.
This week, we look at why mental health at work for the self-employed is so different to mental health at work for employees.
The self-employed have a long and unique set of challenges, and employees don’t face.
Yes, there is LOTS of cross-over around mental health at work.
We all face stress in the workplace.
We all need a good night’s sleep, exercise, and good nutrition.
We all dislike being treated without respect.
We all feel the effects of the increased cost of living.
However, for the self-employed, we also face an additional set of unique challenges and experiences which employees do not AND advise which works for employees so often won’t work for the self-employed.
When you’re employed, you’re sort of just given work to do.
When you’re self-employed: we’re doing the work, finding new work, chasing invoices, marketing, sales, admin, accounting - and then keeping on top of all of the other things you’ve going on your life too. We’re all of the departments of a business.
So, it’s not surprising that the tasks normally done by HR or a manager (like pastoral care, training, support), fall off the list, when it’s another thing we have to do ourselves.
Being too busy or not being busy enough, chasing payments, frustration around tax changes, a client going quiet - these might not seem like mental health issues, but they all have an influence on our mental health, and again, they’re things that most employees won’t have to experience or face.
“Can’t you just take some time off, if you’re feeling stressed?”
Ignoring the classic “can’t you just…?” response for a moment, much of the common advice for dealing with mental health at work falls flat for the self-employed:
“Take some time off” - 36% took less than 14 days of voluntary leave during the year, and 32% felt additional stress or negative impact to their mental health by taking time off. For many, choosing to take time off is a luxury we can’t afford.
“Speak to your manager” - We don’t have one. But if you want to equate a client to a manager, often freelancers will be concerned telling a client they’re stressed or feeling unable to work effectively, because it could mean the end of their contract. What client wants to hear “I’m sorry, I’m too stressed to do the work”? Even if your client might be hugely supportive, the anxiety of communicating that is real.
“Reduce your workload” - Again, reducing workload means reducing income, and with financial wellbeing being one of the leading causes of poorer mental health, it can be a constant balance between good income and good health.
“Speak to a professional / Use your EAP / Insurance” - whilst most employers have things in place to provide access to mental health support, ie. employee assistance programmes, private healthcare, etc - all too often, we don’t have access to similar tools, or they’re cost prohibitive.
“Escalate the issue” - For major issues, such as bullying, harassment, abuse, or even poor behaviours such as ghosting, late payments, there isn’t someone to escalate the issue to. Many freelancers in many industries aren’t part of a union (some industries don’t have unions), and even raising issues can mean the freelancer being seen as “difficult”, and this can lead to not being hired again.
“Move to a new job” - and the ultimate recommendation is often, if you’re really unwell and unhappy in your current role, find a new one. We all know that’s hardly the “just” it seems to be.
So the generalised advice for improving mental health at work doesn’t work - the self-employed need specific, tailored, relevant advice, support, considerations and guidance.
That’s one of the reasons we exist, to bridge that gap, so when a freelancer is looking for resources, they’re not presented with a list of recommendations which are simply irrelevant.
And unfortunately, employers and hirers aren’t generally creating and providing that sort of support or content to their freelancers and self-employed workforce (but we’re working on that).
To be continued…
Did you know, over 34% of freelancers chose to work in self-employment to find improvements in their mental health?
We want to share your stories - if you’re interested in being interviewed for an upcoming edition, or would like to share your experiences in self-employment, please DM me. I don’t bite.
For hirers:
Whilst providing support for mental health at work for freelancers can seem challenging - it doesn’t have to be. We’re not really asking hirers to provide direct support, but rather
Avoid any behaviours which have a negative impact on the mental health of your freelancers (i.e. late payments, lack of contracts, ghosting, poor communication, lack of onboarding, etc).
Signpost to where support is available, via industry bodies, charities, and supportive organisations
Consider tailoring experiences for your independent workers, to recognise the differences in the way they work with you, rather than lumping everyone under the ‘employee’ model, or worse, excluding freelancers entirely.
Of course, there’s much more you can do too - get in touch to see how Leapers can help your organisation to become more #FreelanceFriendly
Background Reading:
» It’s a little old now, but some research from last year shows how many are stepping into partial self-employment through side hustles, and 9 out of 10 under 34s want it to become their business.
» Mental ill-health is behind soaring disability benefits bill in England and Wales, report says
» Amazing indepth view on the future of work from Workathon
» Podcast from The Independents on freelancing and parenting
» TV industry in crisis sees staff taking shelf-stacking jobs
That’s all for today
✌️ mk