Raising children while freelance

Natasha Hirst

THE TIMING was perfect. A London Freelance Branch meeting talk on the “motherhood penalty” – just after International Women’s Day. And it sparked the start of a new drive aimed at helping freelance journalists raising children network for mutual support.

In her talk, Natasha Hirst, chair of the union’s equality council, laid out the challenges women freelance journalists face when they have children – taking a much greater hit on pay, pensions and career progress than those on the payroll. Disabled freelance members also face considerable challenges.

Natasha, a photographer and recent NUJ president, was fresh back from Women’s TUC, where the “motherhood penalty” faced by freelances was very much on the agenda. The NUJ, with other unions representing freelances in the creative sector, is very keen to influence government policy to get freelances looking after children a better deal. Conference backed a call for unions and the TUC to campaign for family-friendly working rights for freelances.

But there are obstacles, Natasha said, hampering the drive to improve life for freelances with childcare responsibilities. They include lack of “robust data” since Covid from a number of key organisations - including the Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey. Unions need up-to-date evidence to back up the case for policy changes to support freelances who can’t rely on employee benefits – from maternity leave and pay to holiday pay.

And though there is much to be welcomed in the Employment Rights Act, important parts of which came into force on 6 April, it does little to address the problems faced by freelances – or to offer us fresh protections, she added.

A new network...

Following Natasha’s talk, committee member Francesca Marchese shared how motherhood had changed how she worked as a freelance journalist - and how she would like to connect with mothers in the NUJ who are freelancing for mutual support and to share good practice. After further discussions, Phil Sutcliffe proposed a motion, seconded by Francesca - who has agreed to help get the network off the ground.

The motion proposed to set up an NUJ parents' network. We proposed to initiate it and will consult with the equality council and the freelance council on developing the idea further. And while policy changes take time, networks can take off quickly if people are keen to get involved. So, contact London Freelance Branch if you’re juggling raising children with freelance journalism and would like to link up with members out there facing similar challenges: equality@londonfreelance.org