“disabled people are more likely to be self-employed than non-disabled people, often because they see it as their only viable option”
That’s the pretty much the only reference to self-employment in the Keep Britain Working report, published today.
The intention of the report is to look at structural ways to help millions of workers who are out of work, back into work. The observation that around half of disabled people are out of work, and those who are in work find that self-employment is the only option which is possible or practical is correct.
Yet, the support infrastructure for the self-employed is non-existent.
We don’t have paid holiday, we don’t have access to statutory sick pay, we have additional risks (working before getting paid, costs to work, i.e. laptops, software, dealing with late payments), nor can many of us afford health insurance, or have a backup plan if we fall too unwell for longer periods of time.
Self-employment is a HUGE opportunity for those who cannot (for any number of reasons) re-enter the “employed” workforce. You only need to look towards Lizzie Penny and Alex Hirst‘s work on Workstyle to uncover the benefits.
And both Mind‘s input into the draft report (of which the Mental Health at Work Leadership council was an advisor on), and Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) make the case for more and specific support for the self-employed, particularly around SSP, IIP, Late Payments and setting up in business.
And suggestions that the self-employed may see their taxes increase in the upcoming budget, without recognition that the gap in experience and support does not make employment and self-employment comparable, make it all the much harder for those who are in self-employment, not by choice.
I’m disappointed to not see more of a focus on finding and supporting more pathways to work - not just employment, but the modern reality in which some 4m+ people already engage (and only set to increase).
But it also cements my ongoing attempts to provide a small slice of the support infrastructure through our work at Leapers and related projects, because community, charity and volunteer projects are the de facto support ecosystem until we see something more systemic.
</rant>
