So, it finally happened. Two weeks ago, I got sick.
Not with COVID, thank you very much, just a nasty cold. And, yes, I have negative test to back that statement up 🧾
As freelancers are wont to do, I figured I would just ride it out – drink lots of fluids and power through my to-do list as quickly as possible, log off in the early afternoon and rest the remainder for the day. No freelancer likes to leave clients hanging mid-assignment and I’m no different.
On Day Three of my cold, I sat behind my computer and started reviewing interview notes for a story I was meant to file the next day. It took me about 15 minutes to realise that I had lost and the cold had won. I felt so crappy that the prospect of working – or, let’s be real, sitting upright – for several hours seemed whimsical.
So, with a mix of resignation, fear and relief, I threw in the towel. I rescheduled an interview with a source, told my client that I would need a deadline extension, cancelled all my outdoor, socially distanced plans and went to bed.
In the end, it worked out fine. The client was so understanding that it felt silly not to have emailed them on Day One.
The whole thing did get me thinking about something no freelancer likes to think about. What would happen to my freelance business if an injury or illness were to fully knock me out – not for a couple of days, but for weeks on end?
I naturally hope that will never happen. But it seems not unsmart to prepare for the possibility that that day may come. Because no-one who falls ill long-term plans on falling ill long-term, right?
For instance, one of my biggest fears could come true – I’m riding my bike when a car door swings opens and knocks me over. Or version two of this scenario, a pedestrian suddenly crosses the street from behind a parked car and I crash into them.
No amount of defensive driving can prevent this from happening and I am well aware that the odds of a careless driver or pedestrian landing me in the hospital are far greater than COVID doing so.
The preparations I’ve put in place should this happen are minimal, but they suit me for now. I have a list of back-up freelancers I can refer clients to for *almost* all the services I provide (if you know or are a Belgium-based journalist who can handle writing both features and breaking news in English, hit me up).
It’s a list that exists only in my head and it probably would be a good idea to put it down in an email with everyone’s contact information and the extent to which I can vouch for them. But knowing that I can refer a client to a freelancer I trust for nearly every service I provide gives me huge peace of mind.
When it comes to insurance, I have to say I balk at coughing up money for a plan that would guarantee me some kind of income support during long periods of illness. Several people have told me it’d be wise to sign up for such income protection insurance, but I figure my savings are my insurance 🤷🏽♀️
Another way in which I’m “prepared” for long-term sickness is that I no longer bite off more than I can chew. After feeling overworked for extensive stretches of time last year, I’ve become very protective of my down-time. If saying yes to an assignment means I will be working seven days a week for a while, it’s going to be a no for me. 🙅🏽♀️
It’s why taking a few days off when I fell sick didn’t unreasonably stress me out. Because I knew that not working for a few days wouldn’t condemn me to weeks of playing catch-up and a temporary completely out of whack work-life balance.
So, how do you handle all this? Do you have guaranteed income insurance? What steps have you taken to make sure life, er — I mean, business goes on should you fall sick long-term? Let us know by emailing us at freelancerthefriendly@gmail.com
Stay healthy,
Linda
What I’m reading, watching, listening to this week:
- The entire first season of Ginny & Georgia while I nursed my cold.
- Schitt’s Creek has been a consistence source of joy during this lockdown and the show – rather unbelievably – keeps getting better every season.
What our readers are saying:
Nicci Talbot writes a newsletter on the future of work well worth subscribing too and she recommended ours! 🤩
This newsletter was written by Linda A. Thompson, a Belgian journalist, content writer and translator. In two weeks, you’ll hear from Selma Franssen, a Dutch author, journalist and presenter living in Brussels.