Ever looked at someone on a monthly invoice and thought, “They’re freelance… I think”?

This episode is for that moment.

In this episode of Buzzing About HR, I get into one of the most common and risky questions small businesses ask. Is this person genuinely self-employed, or have we accidentally created an employment relationship and just called it freelance?

Because the label does not save you.

If someone works regular hours, only really works for you, follows your systems, and looks for all the world like part of the team, HMRC is not going to be impressed by the word “freelancer” in the contract. They care about what is actually happening day to day.

And this is not just a big business problem. We have all seen the headlines around presenters, broadcasters, and referees, but small businesses get caught too. The tax risk, the employment rights risk, and the “how did we not spot this sooner?” panic are very real.

So in this episode, I talk through a simple freelancer sanity check you can actually use. We cover the things that really matter. Control. Substitution. Mutual obligation. Length of relationship. Day-to-day reality. Not just what the paperwork says, but what the arrangement looks and feels like in real life.

I also talk about why employment status is not static. Someone can start out genuinely freelance and, over time, quietly become something else if the relationship changes and no one stops to review it.

This is about more than avoiding an HMRC headache. It is also about fairness, clarity, and not leaving yourself with a messy situation that could have been dealt with much earlier.

If you use freelancers, contractors, or consultants in your business, this episode is well worth a listen. It might save you a lot of money and a lot of stress.

Subscribe, share it with a business owner who needs a reality check, and leave a review so more small businesses can get this right before it gets expensive.

If you’re not 100% sure how your HR is really holding up, take our free HR Health Check. It’s short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what’s working — and what needs a bit of love.

And if you do it before 1st April 2026, you’ll get a bonus 7 Pillar Strategy-on-a-Page, tailored to help you manage HR brilliantly for the year ahead. That’s it for today, but if you fancy a bit of friendly HR advice in your inbox (with zero waffle), come and join our newsletter.

We send out bite-sized tips, plain-English updates, and handy things you’ll actually use — no spam, no fluff.

You can sign up here 

If you're not sure how your HR is really holding up, take the free HR Health Check. It's short, jargon-free, and gives you a clear score on what's working and what could do with a bit of love.

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe so you never miss one, and leave a review if you've got thirty seconds. It honestly does help more small business owners find the show, and it's the cheapest good deed you'll do all week.

Got a question or need actual HR support? Find Kate at kateunderwoodhr.co.uk, email [email protected], or follow along on social.

Until next time, keep buzzing, and take care of your people.