Freelance accounting to grow under right to disconnect laws
Given the new “challenges” of contacting employees after hours, employers might look to leverage the flexibility benefits of freelance accountants.
Employers are already making increasing use of freelance accountants. Oliver Woolrych, senior community manager at Fiverr, expects the trend to increase under new ‘right to disconnect’ laws.
“With the right to disconnect laws coming into effect, it will be harder for employers to request that staff work longer hours and respond to out-of-hours requests during these times,” said Woolrych.
“In contrast, freelance contractors are able to set their own schedules, allowing businesses to enlist their services for projects even outside regular hours,” he added.
The right to disconnect laws, which cleared Parliament earlier this month and will come into effect within the year.
Under the changes, employees will have an enforceable right to refuse to engage with contact or attempted contact from an employer or third party unless doing so would be unreasonable considering a range of factors specific to the employment relationship.
These factors include the reason for the contact, the disruption caused by the contact, the terms of the employment, the nature of the role, the employee’s level of responsibility, and other personal circumstances.
Rather than fall foul of the new employee protections, Woolrych said employers would be more inclined to delegate their late-night work to global freelancers. They are, and will continue to be used for “working on projects while Australia sleeps.”
On the other hand, some have questioned the practical utility of the right to disconnect laws. Some claim the laws only enshrine existing protections while others believe employees will be unlikely to invoke their rights against an unwieldy employer.
The right extends to contact from third parties. Workplace barrister Jeffrey Phillips SC told The Australian the laws will have limited impact in client-facing roles: “If your client needs you, you should take the call,” he said.
Jamie MacLennan, senior vice president and managing director, APAC at TELUS Health acknowledged the complexities of enforcing the disconnect laws in client-facing roles – a particularly troubling situation given that employees in these industries are often among the most overworked.
However, MacLennan added that focusing solely on whether employees are likely to invoke their rights is missing the point.
“It has begun a conversation,” he said, adding that by putting this on the national agenda, bosses in all industries have at least had to turn their minds to topics like overwork, burnout, stress, and presenteeism.
Independent of the new laws, Woolrych said freelancing has become “increasingly significant” in the accounting industry, with “notable growth in the past few years.”
For instance, over the six months from April last year, Fiverr recorded a 113 per cent increase in searches for financial accounting assistance on its platform. The bulk of the surge can be attributed to skills shortages and an increasing number of skilled accountants making the transition to freelancing, said Woolrych.
“Freelancing offers several benefits when it comes to accounting,” he said.
“First and foremost, it allows businesses to save money on payroll costs. Hiring full-time staff can be expensive, especially if additional personnel are only needed during busier periods such as year-end.”
“Additionally, freelancers can be brought on much quicker than full-time employees, enabling businesses to onboard them swiftly during periods requiring extra help.”
When asked whether companies might be reluctant to part with their financial information in a freelancing arrangement, Woolrych acknowledged that security is a “major consideration.”
However, by implementing certain safeguards – for instance, developing clear protocols, enforcing confidentiality agreements, and sharing information on an as-needed basis – businesses can reduce the risks.
