Can I do some extra freelance work for the company I work for?

[Tommy_B]

Rich is in Norway as well. Doesn't make either less right!

[Paddy1000111]

51 minutes ago, AHPP said:

Tom D’s in Scotland, Paddy.

What's that got to do with this? Don't tell me there's a ruling saying that if you wear a kilt or drink peated whisky then the law doesn't apply to you? 😂

[AHPP]

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different laws. Paddy will explain.

[Paddy1000111]

20 minutes ago, AHPP said:

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different laws. Paddy will explain.

So if your PLI says that it doesn't cover freelancers/subcontractors then in Scotland it does? They all have it so easy north of the border 🙄

Edited December 22, 2020 by Paddy1000111

[Tom D]

The law regarding these type of issues is the same both sides of the border. And there is only one UK HMRC.

regarding your PLI, all insurance policies have small print. If you don’t like yours try another insurer!

 

If one of your conditions is no subby cover then that’s that. I was referring to the industry definition of what a subby actually is. Most policies won’t cover subbys, that’s the point of them being subbys... they have their own insurance. This is why it’s really important who is directing who on site, if you tell your subby to do something and it goes wrong whose fault is it? Whose insurance are you claiming on? That’s why subbys must work unsupervised in order to qualify as bona fide.   Ie, " there’s the tree, I’ll be back at 4:00, see you later" 
 

The fact is on 90% of tree jobs someone should have EL cover, and when you think about how much were charging it’s a drop in the ocean to get it... I don’t know why so many try and get away without it. 

[AHPP]

Paddy. The point I've been (increasingly unsubtley) making is that the law is tricky and I don't think that someone who can't spell border is best placed to tell the majority of businessmen here that they're all wrong. I don't doubt you know something but a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and you don't know what you don't know.

Edited December 22, 2020 by AHPP

[Paddy1000111]

1 minute ago, Tom D said:

The fact is on 90% of tree jobs someone should have EL cover, and when you think about how much were charging it’s a drop in the ocean to get it... I don’t know why so many try and get away without it. 

I would say 100% of tree jobs someone needs EL. It's a legal requirement to have with hefty fines for not having it. PL isn't a legal requirement but you would be silly not to! 

[Paddy1000111]

8 minutes ago, AHPP said:

The point I've been (increasingly unsubtley) making is that the law is tricky and I don't think that someone who can't spell border is best placed to tell the majority of businessmen here that they're all wrong. I don't doubt you know something but a little knowledge is a dangerous thing and you don't know what you don't know.

Ah, sorry, I'll be a lot more careful about my spelling whilst sat drinking scrumpy and chilling out, my auto-correct changed it to boarder. I didn't realise this was a GCSE English test. FYI, if you are going to take the piss out of people for a minor spelling mistake then don't use words that don't exist like "Unsubtley" 

 

Bare in mind I'm not the one telling people they will be covered no matter what, I'm telling people to read the fine print and check their position. I've not said anything that could put someone at risk, only things that would get people to read the fine print twice. 

 

*edit* my mistake, Unsubtly does exist, just a pot calling the kettle black situation where the oxford dictionary didn't even recognise the way you spelt it 🙄

Edited December 22, 2020 by Paddy1000111

[Rich Rule]

58 minutes ago, Tommy_B said:

Rich is in Norway as well. Doesn't make either less right!

Over here I have my own insurance.  It is a legal requirement of running an As company (ltd).

 

My comments were in relation to when I worked In the Uk.

 

My main gripe with people in the industry is they think they are wearing big boy boots when they call them selves a Subby climber.  When in fact they are Labour only freelance in most cases.  Tom put it so well.  So have others in this thread.

 

I mention it a lot of pages back... I was in the receiving end of having insurance that was worth fuckall.  Because I was working under their instruction for a morning I was classed as Labour Only and therefore came under the Insurance of the main contractor.

 

I think it is fairly obvious (unless Bona Fide) to not use the term Subby.  It makes the muddy waters somewhat clearer.

[Sam]

Hi all, I'm the OP I haven't checked this thread all Christmas and I'm really delighted with all the debate it's caused! I've just read through all 19 pages of this and it's great. Poor Timmy! My fault it's run on like this for not laying out the specifics of my question in the first place. Which, actually, has made it really interesting. The situation ended up not coming to anything, but if it had I would have stayed on the books and taken overtime, just for simplicity.

 

But at least now I've learned to..

a) be clear exactly what's being talked about (tax, insurance, what type of insurance etc etc)

b) check everything with everyone, and

c) never use the word 'freelance' again!

 

Thanks for all the imput.

 

ps, by the way, I'm a woman, just in reference to the all-pervading (except from the guy in Norway - cheers) him/he/his 🙂

Edited January 8, 2021 by Stuck in a Tree