Uploaded 2008-05-05; for current version see http://www.londonfreelance.org/feesguide/TeachPrn.html
Freelance teachers and trainers will find enormous variations in the fees available depending on whether they are working in the private or public sector.
Teaching can be really rewarding - and also extremely exhausting, especially if an hour's paid work turns into a day's actual work - or some nights' work, if loyalty to students built up over a year leads to over-involvement with assignment deadline panic.
Public sector colleges and universities often have fairly firmly set hourly rates - so the teacher's negotiations will be over how many hours they are paid for. As noted in the section on negotiating, pay is often for very nominal "teaching hours" and both sides need to be clear how many actual hours are expected.
Rates for private colleges are more flexible, and for commercial training extremely so. There the field is wide open for negotiation over price. In some cases the client will feel they've got better value if they've paid more - just as more expensive perfumes are per se better value than cheap ones.
These are some things to remember when negotiating rates and terms for teaching and training. And please send us your accounts of successful negotiations.
- Teachers and trainers need to be clear about copyright in any supporting material they produce. Academic staff, in particular, tend to assume that everyone in the world is both academic and on staff: and the academic papers they write serve, to a cynical eye, the economic function of advertising, the point of which is to get them a higher salary - so some feel it is no skin off their nose to assign all rights to the college.
- If offered a written contract, go through it with a fine-tooth comb. If none is offered, the teacher should write confirming the engagement and specifying, for example, that they will grant a licence to use supporting material during the year in which they are engaged but that further use will require a separate licence.
- The rates are suggested as minima from which freelances will negotiate upward according to their experience and specialist knowledge.
- We cannot say it often enough: both sides need to be clear on how many hours' actual work is expected, compared to the notional "teaching hours" paid for.
- These do not include paid time off.
- Freelances who are registered for VAT will add it to every invoice.
We welcome feedback from members on these notes.
For definitions of the categories used, see below
Public educational institutions have fairly firmly set rates, linked to University and College Union negotiated rates. Rates for private colleges are more flexible, and for commercial training much more so.
Commercial training in media skills shades into the "consultancy" area where an important question is "how badly do they need this?" and those who have attained fame as trainers can name their own price. Technical training is a more sedate market...
| - Commercial | ||
|---|---|---|
| Courses in how to handle TV - large clients: per day |  |
2500 |
| Training Vice Chancellor to do TV interviews: per day | |
1500 |
| Courses in how to handle TV: per day | |
1200 |
| Technology training (eg Photoshop): per day | |
500 |
| Teaching university or charity staff to write simple press releases, etc - per hour | |
40 |
Notes:
- Fees should reflect the number of people being trained at once and the level of expertise required.
- One trainer says that three or maybe four is the maximum number that can be effectively trained in one half-day session, but the rate does not have to reflect whether 2, 3 or 4 turn up.
- Freelance trainers and teachers always need to check carefully how much time they will be expected to put in for their money.
- The rate for a half-day rate should be more than half the full day rate, as the trainer still need to travel to the venue, set-up and prepare, and so on - something like £700 for a half-day where the day rate would have been £1200.
- Some trainers offer discounts to non-commercial outfits for training on their premises and with their computeres and software.
Public sector colleges and universities often have fairly firmly set hourly rates, linked to University and College Union negotiated rates. Negotiation in practice is over how many hours freelance teachers are paid for: see the notes below.
| - Universities and colleges | ||
|---|---|---|
| Per day for prestigious private colleges/courses | |
500 |
| Per day for private colleges/courses | |
250 |
| Per classroom hour in private colleges | |
50 |
| Per classroom hour in universities | |
35 |
| Per classroom hour in further ed etc | |
30 |
Notes:
- Public sector colleges and universities often expect teachers to carry out preparation and marking as part of the deal - so a "teaching hour" can take up considerably more than 60 minutes.
- Freelance teachers need to check carefully how much time they will be expected to put in for their money.
- Exam boards, student support and guidance should definitely be paid for as extra hours.
- It is possible to negotiate extra hours for preparation - but only if agreed in advance.
- Public sector colleges often insist that they must deduct Income Tax at source - but it is possible to persuade them to treat freelances as self-employed.
- It may be harder to persuade public sector colleges not to deduct National Insurance at source.
- Privately-run colleges are more flexible both on hours and deductions.
Texts © Mike Holderness & Andrew Wiard; Moral rights asserted.
The National Union of Journalists must not, can not and would not wish to dictate rates or terms of engagement to members or to editors. The information presented here is for guidance and as an aid to equitable negotiation only.
Suggestions apply to contracts governed by UK law only. In any event, nothing here should be construed as legal advice.