Freelancing after being laid off

This is a bit related to the DFM bloodletting thread, but what does sj.com think about people who are laid off freelancing for the company that let them go?

Media columnist Tom Hoffarth will continue to write his column for the SoCal papers and I'm guessing other writers and photographers there, and at other places shedding staff, will keep working on a per assignment basis.

I'm not criticizing anyone for making money where they can after being let go, but doesn't the willingness to do the same work for less, and no benefits, make it easier for these companies to lay off staff?

 

A new editor recently made me aware aware of my parent company's policy against using former staffers as freelancers, regardless of why or when they left. It must not be a well-publicized rule, because the newspaper group has had several of 'em... and I think they've been grandfathered in.

 

I'll do it if the pay is right. Hell, I've done it quite a bit.

Their money's still green.

Of course, I have a secure full-time job and have no desire whatsoever to work in that business again. It's just some extra cash to me.

 

I think this is an alarming trend. Get rid of the veterans and see if they'll freelance. If they have nothing going, I betcha many accept the freelancing.

 

Years ago, I was SE at a small daily and was laid off. The bigger daily in the town where I actually lived laid off its prep writers at the same time.

Initially I was pissed off at the company and went to a competitor (local prep site/magazine). But the pay was the same and the competitor really only needed gamers.

The bigger paper pretty much let me write as much as I wanted and do occasional desk shifts. Between that and some other freelance gigs that paid well, I made about the same amount that year, albeit with no benefits, but with a much more flexible schedule.

I eventually was offered a full-time job there. So, I guess the moral of the story is it can work out well, but I'm sure it is different for everyone.

 

It's definitely a strategy at a lot of places. And you're right, it's stinks. They know a lot of these veterans don't know anything but writing and laying them off, then offering them a freelance gig (without having to maintain benefits) is a good way of cutting costs. And if they start writing too much, you just stop using them.

At the same time, like someone mentioned there are some places that have specific rules against using former employees to string. Funny thing about that rule is that I couldn't use two former sports writers (one that quit, one was fired) because my boss told me it was against corporate policy to use former employees. Yet, the news side was using a former reporter who quit because her job changed and she didn't want to accept the new position and another news reporter who was FIRED FOR PLAGIARISM! When I asked why those two freelancers were allowed to work for us, I got some bullshit excuse that they were being paid through another pool of money (not the stringer budget). Gotta love that double standard.

 

I left my old shop on my own accord when I got a job out of the industry. Signed a freelance agreement with said organization before my two weeks notice was up.

Freelanced for three years. I enjoyed it. Kept me in the game. Hopefully, helped my previous employer out. If there's a rule against using former full-time employees as freelancers at media organizations, it's robbing them of committed freelancers who know their communities well. Silly.

 

I wasn't laid off - I left the biz for more stability. However, I continue to live & work in the community where I was the SE (and my wife still works at the newspaper), and the high school where I teach uses me as a sports info director. When he's in a jam, the newspaper's current SE occasionally asks for a story - knowing that even with the conflict of interest, I'll be professional enough to be balanced. I never turn the money down and I'm more than happy to help.

However, if I had been laid off, I probably would be upset enough to not want to do anything for them.

 

What reason does management give for not using former employees?

 

Be interested to know how that works.

 

I know the audience, and it's usually an in-a-pinch gamer because they're short-staffed. I've been a bit wary of writing gamers when our school is playing another one in the coverage area, because I know those *have* to be balanced rather than slanted a bit toward the local school, but I try to write a neutral lede, write from the winning team's perspective, and then I rewrite a homer story for our school website. When it's our school playing a team from outside the coverage area, it's focused more toward the local school.

I hope I've developed enough of a sense of professionalism from my years as an SE that I can be balanced when need be, but also tell the story from my employer's perspective when need be. When the conference was looking for someone to handle its website & communications, I was nominated by the ADs of our school's two biggest rivals.

 

I've been in this spot before. I was actually laid off from the shop I'm now back at FT, but while I was laid off I did quite a bit of freelancing for them. I needed the money.

The SE at the time and I were real close (he wasn't the one who laid me off, of course), so he would throw tons of work my way. He'd pay me extra money to do box scores, etc. Some of the stuff he assigned took me like an hour to do, so there were times where I was making way more on a per-hour basis than when I was on staff.

Still, though, it's a drop in the bucket compared to having an actual job.