Job advert, London zone 2/3 - what do you think of this rate of pay?

[LindorDoubleChoc]

"Temporary Office Administrator
You will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations, overseeing project delivery, managing diaries, booking survey appointments, and ensuring smooth business administration.
This is a multifaceted position that requires a highly organised and adaptable individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment. If you have a strong background in administration, excellent communication skills, and a keen eye for detail, we’d love to hear from you!
This is a freelance office based position on a flexible 35hr week (Monday to Friday)"

Pay quoted is £13 to £15 per hour.

I'm wondering is they understand that London Living Wage is £13.85 p/h.

Companies are free to advertise at whatever they want as long as at least national minimum wage. Potential employees are free to not apply

That’s not a very competitive rate, considering they’re making themselves sound a bit dynamic in their “fast-paced environment”. They won’t attract many appropriately skilled candidates for that, I would have thought. Good luck to you though and push for the £15ph.

Does freelance mean self employed?

Yes! So no holiday pay, no sick pay, no pension or other benefits. It's really shit pay.

They only have to pay national minimum wage not london living wage. That said, it sounds like a piss take. How is that a freelance position? It’s receptionist/office manager/PA type role by the sounds of it with fixed, almost full time, hours. And the salary/wage is preposterously low. If you’re considering it then my advice would be to look for a receptionist position in zone 1 instead where you can earn £30k as a proper employee and get benefits.

I don’t quite understand the use of ‘freelance’ given it’s a 35h a week role.

I’d expect a temp office admin role to be at minimum wage or not far above.

I think job descriptions often sound far more elaborate than the role - the ‘fast-paced environment’ bit is probably ‘don’t expect to turn up and just sit around twiddling your thumbs’.

This is not a freelance role and it’s low paid for temp and self employed let alone anything else.

You would find it extremely hard to live on that in London as a single person in a flat share for example, and impossible if the hours really were flexible and reduced substantially.

I guess it could suit someone who lives with a higher earner or parents.

Don't worry! I'm not considering applying.

I'm wondering if there is anywhere you can report job adverts that break basic employment rights rules?

My DH was freelance, working for 3 to 6 different employers at a time, and his time sheets and contracts were under full scrutiny from the Inland Revenue. There's no way he could have worked for one full time and claimed to be freelance.

They sound dodgy and just not wanting to employ someone properly - but tbf: it's a temporary position, apparently offering flexibility on when those 35 hrs are worked, some may be available as WFH, and anyone taking it is free to take other work around it, possibly alongside it.
It's not my type of work, but as a legit self employed freelancer, it certainly could be worked within a portfolio of other clients.
If split into equal amounts it would be 7 hours a day M to F which could see you finishing by 2 with the whole of the rest of each day and Sat and Sun available for other work. If it's properly flexible could do 4 x 10.5 days giving you 3 full days and some evening availability too.

The days of 'freelancer' being code for a comfortable flexible way of life are very long gone, so I wonder why this particular offer has irked you.

What your DH was able to do isn't the definition of what those in bigger need are able to manage.
I doubt you're aware of how many hours or at what rate a lot of people are choosing to work to pay their way and not be on benefits regardless of so called entitlement, all under HMRC scrutiny and often having to cover up how little they're really being paid and how many hours they're really putting in, at which point that's a comparatively reasonable potentially legit contract on offer.

Yes, they are trying to avoid paying national insurance etc, which is illegal. Report it to the inland revenue.

To me it sounds like a PA role, which usually pays considerably more than that.

The whole freelance thing is clearly bollocks as surely they're never going to give the benefits of actual freelancing as in freedom to pick and choose hours, take time off, turn work down, send a substitute etc. Plus freelancing usually pays more to make up for lack of annual leave etc.

It could be reportable to HMRC as £13 ph with no paid leave would break NMW rules, as you'd have to deduct over 10% from the hourly rate to account for that.

https://www.gov.uk/pay-and-work-rights

Although sadly, they'll probably take on someone inexperienced who doesn't realise they're being exploited.

They want a cheap clerical admin person. They won't get a good one at that price.

I assume "freelance" = "self-employed".

I wouldn't touch it unless I was desperate.

I find it pretty scandalous. They are trying to get away with an awful lot. I hope no one is desperate enough to apply but I'm guessing someone will be.