On Oct. 27, the New York City Council passed a bill, commonly referred to as the Freelance Isn’t Free Act (No. 1017-2015), which is likely to be signed by Mayor Bill de Blasio shortly. It seeks to ensure that independent contractors providing services as individuals are offered a written contract and are paid on a timely basis. While there are laudable purposes for the bill, it regrettably has serious defects. The mayor should send it back to the City Council to cure its flaws, which would otherwise lead to adverse consequences to both independent contractors and those companies to whom they provide services.
Who Is Covered?
The Freelance Isn’t Free Act defines a “freelance worker” as “any natural person or organization composed of no more than one natural person, whether or not incorporated or employing a trade name, that is hired or retained as an independent contractor by a hiring party to provide services in exchange for compensation.” See Section 20-927 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York.
