The idea of being one's own boss may sound ideal for some. But being a freelancer is not always a walk in the park.
Without the backing of a big organisation, this group of professionals tends to be more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse from ruthless clients.
That is one of the reasons why the topic covered in the latest Legal Primer Session by the National Trades Union Congress' (NTUC) Professionals, Managers and Executives (PME) Unit was centered on equipping freelancers with a deeper understanding of their rights and intellectual property.
In the event held on 6 September 2013, Ms A. Sangeetha, a practising expert from The Law Society of Singapore, touched on the contractual rights and obligations of freelancers as well as the topic of Intellectual Property Rights.
NTUC Legal Services Department and PME Unit Director Patrick Tay also highlighted the rights and privileges of freelance workers in the course of their work.
Mr Peter Gwee, a 62-year old who works in the manufacturing industry said that this primer session would effectively prepare him further in his work as a freelancer.
'Some of the points which I wrote down, such as the remedies and trademark and some other points that they raised will give me a better footing,' said Mr Gwee.
For freelance writer Ms Eleanor Yap, Ms Sangeetha's point about oral contracts was something that she would take home with her.
This event participated by more than 120 freelance professionals is part of the Law Works initiative by NTUC and The Law Society of Singapore wherein a series of legal primer talks targeted at working groups of people will be organised and conducted to educate them on their legal rights in Singapore..
Original article written by Nicholas Lee, and can be found in NTUC This Week (20 September 2013)
