New commissioner must tackle businesses that don’t pay
- 3 Oct 2017
The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed (IPSE) has welcomed the appointment of a Small Business Commissioner, a measure it has been calling for for several years. It emphasised the need for new Commissioner Paul Uppal to fight for the self-employed.
Simon McVicker, IPSE Director of Policy said:“Late payment and non-payment by clients are a huge barrier to successfully running a business and the new Commissioner needs to hit the ground running and tackle this head-on. The average freelancer currently loses almost 20 days a year chasing invoices and this must change.
“As someone who ran his own business, Mr Uppal knows how difficult being self-employed can be. He needs to use this experience to fight for the interests of our smallest firms.
“The UK also has a significant problem of businesses - many large - using freelancers without paying them. There is often an expectation that freelancers, especially those working in creative industries, take on projects with only the promise of credit and exposure. We need to see a cultural change so work that has a value is paid for. This issue should be top of the new Commissioner’s agenda. Mr Uppal shouldn’t be afraid to name and shame the worst offenders.”
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