Freelance marketplace – is a recent phenomenon. Therefore, this area of the provision of services through the use of the Internet has not yet received due attention from the state. The rights of freelancers are not fully ensured by the current labor legislation, which does not take into account modern realities. This is also the case in the legal field. Yes, there are laws that protect a freelancer as a citizen from fraud, theft or fraud. But if you decide to write a statement to the police against a fraudster who did not pay for your work, it is unlikely that this will work. Especially if the scam lives in another country.
Now the freelancer is a real participant in the shadow economy, an involuntary criminal. The speed of information exchange with the advent of broadband Internet has increased so much that the previous relationship patterns between the customer and the contractor are simply outdated. When the laws are amended, and in what form it will be implemented, one can only guess.
In the relationship between the freelancer and the customer, it is necessary to take into account the nuances of freelancers’ work. In theory, when performing any work between interested parties, it is necessary to conclude an agreement. But since it is rare that the customer and the contractor live in the same city, it is quite problematic to conclude a standard written contract.
Another feature of the philanthropy is that there are no long-term, lasting years of contracts. Sometimes a freelancer in one day can fulfill several small orders from several different customers. What, for each written article or banner was drawn to conclude an agreement? That’s funny. And immediately it becomes clear that something needs to be done, but what is not yet clear.
In theory, a single system could bring a freelancer out of the “dusk”, in which he, having registered, could conduct his activities completely legally. Modern technologies allow this to happen. In this case, in the event of a conflict, a remote worker could count on legal protection, and a dishonest customer would fear legal prosecution. Today, some freelance resources use a risk-free transaction service – something similar should be at the state level.
Another way would be to buy a freelancer a certain license, which would allow him to legally carry out his activities. But there are big problems with this option, as today the freelancer works remotely, and after a week he can get a full-time job in the office and, therefore, change his status.
Of course, sooner or later the situation in this segment of the Internet business is normalizing and many freelancers will gain confidence in the future and protect the state. When this happens, one can only guess.