20th September 2011, 09:19 PM
There is a piece on this in the latest Diggers' Forum newsletter which was published today, it sets out what the new policy is, but also what it means for those of us who are freelancers and what we may be able to do with this policy in terms of nailing any employers abusing the system. The article is included in the free sample version of the DF newsletter and you can read it here: http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/defa...ampler.pdf. I imagine that may be where David heard of the new policy?!!
I believe that DF members were instrumental in getting this policy implemented. I initially complained to the IfA back in 2008 about the problem of employers paying 'self-employed' diggers seriousy low day rates, and whether or not they were truly self-employed. Back then I argued that they were in breach of Principle 5, it turns out they are. The workings of the IfA Self-employed Working Group which included myself and fellow DF member Geoff Morley resulted in this Policy, and I think it is a welcome addition and a clear statement of intent. The DF hope that the IfA will continue to support self-employed archaeologists with further guidance such as on how to calculate a day rate and sample day rates that are equivalent to the established employee minima (in a similar way to what BAJR has recently done).
It has certainly taken its time to get from initial complaint to solid Policy, but given the clear wording of the Policy I feel it is worth the wait to get such a positive and unequivocable statement that you can't pay freelancers less than the equivalent to the minima. No longer can you just divide the IfA minima by 233 working days and just pay that to 'freelance' diggers.
As it says in the article, the DF is prepared to take forward any well-founded complaints over mis-treatment of self-employed archaeologists under this policy. As we announced in Newsletter 6 there is a new mechanism for anonymous complaints at the IfA (that the DF also argued for). If you have any info, get in touch, details in the newsletter. Without evidence we can't take this forward to the next step, with evidence we can put in complaints and get day rates raised.
I believe that DF members were instrumental in getting this policy implemented. I initially complained to the IfA back in 2008 about the problem of employers paying 'self-employed' diggers seriousy low day rates, and whether or not they were truly self-employed. Back then I argued that they were in breach of Principle 5, it turns out they are. The workings of the IfA Self-employed Working Group which included myself and fellow DF member Geoff Morley resulted in this Policy, and I think it is a welcome addition and a clear statement of intent. The DF hope that the IfA will continue to support self-employed archaeologists with further guidance such as on how to calculate a day rate and sample day rates that are equivalent to the established employee minima (in a similar way to what BAJR has recently done).
It has certainly taken its time to get from initial complaint to solid Policy, but given the clear wording of the Policy I feel it is worth the wait to get such a positive and unequivocable statement that you can't pay freelancers less than the equivalent to the minima. No longer can you just divide the IfA minima by 233 working days and just pay that to 'freelance' diggers.
As it says in the article, the DF is prepared to take forward any well-founded complaints over mis-treatment of self-employed archaeologists under this policy. As we announced in Newsletter 6 there is a new mechanism for anonymous complaints at the IfA (that the DF also argued for). If you have any info, get in touch, details in the newsletter. Without evidence we can't take this forward to the next step, with evidence we can put in complaints and get day rates raised.