I’ve been freelancing for a corporate company for a year (100% WFH – hourly). It initially was only going to be for 6 months, but I’m doing so well that they kept me longer.
My extended contract ends in June. They want me to be full time, but that will require me going to the office (NYC) twice a week. I left the city during the pandemic and don’t drive (my partner does) and the train from where I live would be 3 and a half hours.
The company says that I have to take a 3 month sabbatical if I don’t take the full-time offer, but during that time they could decide they need a full-time employee for the role and not have me back (sounds like a threat).
Is a forced sabbatical a thing for freelancers?
Besides that, I worked for their parent company for 11 years (they did us dirty in the end and I don’t trust them) in an office setting and have NO desire to return to that or to the city – it made me miserable. I’ve loved freelancing because I could just focus on the work, be left out of the “culture”, and have more freedom. But now my manager has a new boss and I feel they want more control over me. I haven’t been in an office since 2020.
The thing is they NEED me. They’re understaffed so I’ve been fulfilling 3 roles successfully, but at the expense of my mental health. I haven’t taken any vacation or sick days (I don’t want to fall behind). I work for as long as my 30 hours allow when the office is open. I don’t ask for more money either. They’re really trying to get me to take the offer, but I just want to keep things the way they are and not commute (it would destroy me) or be full
time. I like what I do although it’s usually stressful with no downtime. I’m just afraid I won’t find a similar job let alone another one that’s wfh.