Remote Work vs. Online Freelancing: How Do They Differ?
Since the 2020 pandemic hit and caused global travel to cease, the words “remote worker” and “online freelancer” have become buzzwords. Many people use these words interchangeably when talking about working from home, but are they really synonymous with each other?
Sign up forfree
Forgot your password?
Create an account
*Required: 8 chars, 1 capital letter, 1 number
By continuing, you agree to thePrivacy PolicyandTerms of Use.You also agree to receive our newsletters, you can opt-out any time.
Remote Worker
A remote worker is someone who works outside the office. While it’s usually at home, that doesn’t have to be the case. Remote workers can work in a coffee shop, a park, or even a hotel halfway around the world. But what other characteristics do a remote worker position has?
1. An Employer-Employee Relationship
Generally, most remote workers are still employed by the company they’re working for. That means you have a fixed monthly salary or hourly rate, and you’re protected by law as an employee. So, if the contract you signed with the company you’re working for states that you’re an employee and you’re allowed to work outside your office’s premises, then you’re a remote worker.
Given that you’re an employee, your office would havework-from-home policies you must follow. So, even if you’re not physically in the office, you have a guide, ensuring you don’t get lost in accomplishing your tasks and keeping your productivity up.
2. You Have Benefits
As an employee, you’re protected by the law. That means your company must provide benefits like paid leave, 401(K), and insurance. If you have an employer-employee relationship with the company you’re working with and don’t deliver these benefits, they’re liable for a lawsuit.
3. You Usually Have a Sole Employer
As a remote employee, you generally work for one company only. Although some people hustle and work with two or three companies simultaneously, these are usually rare. Furthermore, you can’t work for them simultaneously—meaning if you’re working for a company from 8 am to 2 pm, you can’t be doing tasks for other companies at that time.
These companies usually track your time and require you to work exclusively for them during your obligated working hours.
4. You Have Colleagues to Help You
Unless you’re working for a very small startup, you’ll likely work with several others. So, if you run into any problems, you can rely on them to help you. They will usually guide you on the processes and systems of the company.
Furthermore, unless you’re a top executive with “chief” in your job title, you typically have a supervisor or manager who will guide you and assign you individual tasks.
5. You Have an IT Department
If you’re working with a company, you usually have an IT department that will sort out any issues with your computers. So, if your computer isn’t working, or you forgot your login credentials, then the company’s IT people will help. They’ll ask you to come to the office or send your equipment for troubleshooting if you have a hardware problem, or they’ll diagnose and repair it manually if it’s a software issue.
6. Hassle-Free Tax Payment
If you’re working with a single employer and have a single source of income, then you don’t have to worry about taxes. Your company will be the one to file and pay taxes on your behalf. All you need to do is sign the paperwork, and the finance or accounting department will get everything done.
Once everything is filed, the company will give you a copy of the documents, and it’s up to you how to file and store your copies.
Online Freelancer
While an online freelancer also works outside a physical office, their primary difference is that they’re not employees of the companies they’re working with. That means the company they’re working with has less control over how the freelancer does their work—what matters is the output they provide to the company.
1. You’re a Contractor
If you’re an online freelancer, you’re an independent contractor for the company you’re working with. That means you’re providing a specific service or product for your client, nothing more, nothing less.
You also usually have more freedom in doing your work—only your output matters. However, since you’re a contractor, not an employee, you have less protection under the law.
2. You’re Typically Paid More
As an independent contractor, you usually receive a bigger take-home pay than employees. However, since your client does not employ you,you’re ineligible for benefitsmandated by law. You’re not covered by its insurance policy, you don’t have paid leaves, and you don’t have retirement benefits.
3. You Can Work With Multiple Clients
Since most freelancers are project or output-based, you’re usually free to take on as many clients as you want. you may even work on projects concurrently, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your workflow.
And unless you sign a contract that prohibits you from taking on clients in the same industry as the clients you currently have, they have no say on who you work with and when. As long as you hit your deadlines and finish the expected work, you may do whatever you want, whenever you want.
4. You Can Hire Your Own Staff
As an online freelancer, you typically work alone. While you can ask for help from your client’s employees, that will not look good since the client is hiring you for your expertise. Nevertheless, unless your contract prohibits it, you’re free to hire people to work with you.
That means you don’t have to do the actual work. As long as you can guarantee the quality of your team’s output, you can focus on managing your people and multiple clients while your staff does the leg work.
5. You Figure Things Out Yourself
Since you’re an independent contractor for the client you’re working with, you’re usually not free to use their resources. For example, the client’s IT department isn’t obligated to help you if you have computer problems.
And if you’re hiring a new team member, you can’t ask your client’s HR team to vet applicants. So, if you need to solve a problem, you’ll have to learn it yourself, or you must hire an expert to fix it for you.
6. You Pay Your Own Taxes
As an independent contractor, your clients aren’t obligated to withhold any taxes for you. Once they pay you for your services, they have nothing else to worry about. However, you must declare your sales and earnings to the government as an independent contractor and pay your taxes.
So, aside from completing your projects with your clients, you must also track your finances, file your documents, and pay your taxes. You can either do this yourself, which isn’t recommended unless you’re an accountant, or hire a bookkeeper and accountant to do this for you.
Do You Prefer Being a Remote Worker or an Online Freelancer?
While both types of jobs offer you the advantage of working wherever you want, they’re wildly different in how it approaches work. Remote workers have a more structured career path and a company support system. However, they’re also typically paid less and have less freedom.
On the other hand, online freelancers have greater control over where and how they accomplish their work. They also tend to get paid more. However, they also have a greater risk and generally must do more work, so some might not be suitable for this kind of career. No matter which option you choose, do your work well. That way, you’ll get noticed, allowing you to land a promotion sooner or get repeat business.
If you work remotely, your hard work may not be easily noticeable, thus hindering your career advancement. Here are some tips to help you stand out.
These are the best free movies I found on Tubi, but there are heaps more for you to search through.
Obsidian finally feels complete.
I found my TV was always listening—so I shut it down.
This small feature makes a massive difference.
My iPhone does it all, but I still need my dumb phone.
