The Freelance Isn't Free Act (FIFA) is a local
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
law passed by the
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs.
The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government mod ...
in 2016 that protects the
labor rights
Labor rights or workers' rights are both legal rights and human rights relating to labor relations between workers and employers. These rights are codified in national and international labor and employment law. In general, the ...
of
freelance
''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
workers. The bill passed unanimously, after lobbying by the
Freelancers Union
Freelancers Union is a nonprofit organization based in New York City that provides advocacy, programming and curated insurance benefits for freelancers through partnerships. The organization dessiminates information through monthly meetings. Raf ...
. The law was officially enacted on May 15, 2017.
The law provides a legal definition for freelance work in New York City and requires companies to provide written contracts for freelance workers whenever the work exceeds $800. Nearly all types of freelance workers are covered by the law except salespeople, attorneys, medical professionals, and government contractors.
Even without a written contract, companies are still required to pay freelancers within 30 days of the work being completed. Finally, companies can't punish workers for exercising the rights granted by the law, and the law allows freelancers to charge penalty fees against companies that violate its clauses. The Act is intended to protect freelancers against clients that unreasonably withhold or delay payment for work.
References
Further reading
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External links
NYC legislative recordLegal text
United States labor law
New York City law
Temporary employment
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