LI website aims to help freelancers get paid

The life of a freelancer -- writer, Web developer, or whatever -- is never easy. Brooke Dixon of Glen Cove found that out the hard way.

After working for months putting together a website for a business, the owner abruptly left the country. Dixon, who had a contract, was out $30,000 and never collected a penny.

"He said, 'I'm getting divorced and moving' to the Middle East," Dixon said.

He has started a website, Hourly.com, to help other freelancers search out jobs, keep track of their hours and take care of a host of other administrative details. It will also include information from the Brooklyn-based Freelancers Union about how employers pay -- on time, late or not at all.

Sara Horowitz, founder and executive director of the union, which has 110,000 members in New York State (170,000 nationwide), offered an eye-popping statistic: About 77 percent of freelancers have not gotten paid for their work at some point in their lives.

"Freelancers are considered receivables," or money owed out on a balance sheet, Horowitz said.

The union introduced legislation, the Freelancer Payment Protection Act, to allow freelancers to file complaints with the state labor department, which would then investigate the claims. The Assembly passed the bill, and it is now before a Senate labor committee.

The number of freelancers has been growing as companies seek to contract out work and avoid paying costly benefits.

"The thing about being a receivable is that it's becoming normal practice," said Horowitz. Employers "are being advised by their accountants it's OK" to stall on pay or even not to pay. "But it's not OK."