What is independent work anyway?

We define independent workers as anyone that is working but not in permanent employment. This spans the whole spectrum of working independently, from someone that does the occasional gig via platform, to juggling lots of gig platforms, to being a temporary worker either through a recruitment agency or directly with your hirer, to being self-employed as a sole trader, or a freelancer or a contractor.

We champion independent work because it is critical to the economy, and is likely to be even more so as we seek economic recovery post-pandemic. Done well independent work brings enormous benefits to both the individual and the business that engages them – the individual can choose how, where and when they work and the business that hires them receives the skills they need when they need them.