How can agencies pitch claiming they have the best talent if 50% of their team is on a short-term contract?

How and where does new talent develop and learn skills if they do not have an employer?

What responsibility do we have to people’s wellbeing and welfare, if they’re not employees?

What does inclusion look like if you’re excluding those who aren’t employees?

Matthew Knight, Founder of Leapers, is asking the questions that the wider creative industries continue to sidestep. In an industry where people are the product, the fact that many of those people are freelancers is an unmistakable factor. So too is the unavoidable truth that those people are consistently being let down, ghosted and overlooked.

For the past six years, Knight has conducted research into the challenges and creative blockers facing freelancers and the devastating impact of the industry’s lacklustre approach on freelancers' mental health. 

A fundamental faultline has emerged; while inclusion and mental health have risen up the industry agenda, thanks in large part to the tireless campaigning of NABS, Knight believes over the past six years, there have not been any major changes for the better. A toxic status quo he is dedicating to shifting. He explains: “As more individuals move into self-employment, there are some major questions we all have to ask about how we invest in the development of talent within the industry.”

In driving better outcomes, you have to ask better questions. Knight has questions in droves. How meaningful is industry reporting if we’re only asking employees? What does ‘workplace culture’ mean if teams are only with agencies for a few months at a time? If responsibility for learning, development and wellbeing shifts to the individual, how is that funded to ensure it happens?

A fluid future of work

Freelancers are the glue that holds the creative industry together. According to data from the DCMS, 28-32% of jobs in the UK creative industries are self-employed or freelance. This equates to double the rate across the whole UK economy, which sits at 14 to 16%. 

As Knight explains: “A more fluid workforce has huge benefits and opportunities, in our ability to build teams as a perfect fit for a project, to access a more diverse workforce, to bring in fresh perspectives, to work with people outside of just those we have employed; and for many where perm employment isn’t working, it can mean we’re enabling work for a wider group of people.”

Yet while freelancers are the glue of the industry, Leaper's research underlines that their time, expertise and mental wellbeing simply are not given the respect, recognition and real support needed.

“There needs to be a more nuanced view on nurturing and sustaining industry talent - which isn’t just employees on one side with support, and everyone else on the other side with nothing. We collectively benefit from investing in talent if we’re including the entire workforce,” he adds.

The hustle culture headache

In a stop-start year like 2025, where restructures and redundancies dominated the industry agenda, there is no question that the past 12 months have seen many move into freelancing by necessity.  

“Freelancing can be an incredible way to work, as it can provide more autonomy and flexibility - and I'm absolutely an advocate, providing it is your decision to work this way, and you have the support systems in place,” explains Knight. Yet he underlines that freelancing is not always a lifestyle decision, but often necessary. 

“Perhaps you're a parent, a carer, living with a long term health condition, neurodiverse - and perm employment isn't supportive of your needs. In the last 12 months, we have seen plenty of people facing redundancy, but still need to pay their rent, so finding project work might be a stopgap, rather than a plan,” he adds.

Knight believes that as more and more businesses shift their talent models to create hybrid perm and freelance workforces (a smart economic and creative decision), it will increasingly become the only way to work for many in the sector.

A fundamental shift, which means the industry needs to adapt its structures and support systems to better support freelance talent. He explains: “We cannot pretend that freelancing is a choice for everyone - nor is ‘but you chose to work this way’ a valid reason to abandon supporting a huge group of the industry workforce. The shape of the workforce has changed immeasurably, and modern workforce policy and strategy needs to reflect this, and take advantage of its benefits.”

The mental toll of a stop-start culture

2025 was a stop-start year for many in the creative industries. According to Leaper’s research, 40% of freelancers that were already suffering from poor mental health felt that their mental health declined further in 2025. So what do we need to be doing differently as an industry and as individuals?

Knight urges individuals to recognise that being mentally healthy doesn’t come ‘out of the box’ when you sign up to self-employment. 

He explains: “Much of the structure and support systems you had in employment are no longer in place - so you need to actively invest in your wellbeing. This means getting on top of your personal and professional finances and business plan, prioritising social connection and building support networks, and ensuring you’re able to look after the foundations like rest, diet, and exercise.”

Whilst this sounds simple in practice, anyone who is still holding onto the threads of their new year's resolutions just weeks into 2026 will recognise that sometimes keeping hold of the small things can easily slip away. “It can be so easy to focus on your business, and self-care often falls off our to-do list. You are the most important asset in your business, and if you’re unable to work, you don’t have a sustainable business,” says Knight.

He also highlights that one of the big challenges that freelancers face is that they don’t know where to go to find support. He explains: “There’s still low awareness of supportive resources and organisations, whether it be the work we’re doing at Leapers, charities like NABS, or communities which provide critical support.”

A failure to support freelance talent

At a time when so many agencies are reliant on freelance talent to grow their businesses, questions must be asked about whether time, expertise and value of talent are being respected.

“As an industry, I think we need to recognise that a substantial portion of people in the creative sector are not employees, and take a more holistic approach to supporting the wellbeing and development of our people, regardless of the contract in place. We’re not asking for employers to suddenly be responsible for freelancer wellbeing days or pay holiday pay - but put the basics in place to reduce harm,” says Knight 

To this end, Leapers has developed a ‘Freelance Friendly’ policy for hirers. Whilst it is not rocket science, the uncomfortable truth remains that many companies are not living up to this four-point bare minimum policy.

Firstly, companies must acknowledge that freelancers are part of their workforce and secondly, they need to be paid fairly and promptly. Thirdly, there needs to be contracts and good communication in place and finally, there must be signposting to resources for support.

When hustle culture has no heart

In a wider social media ecosystem in which the 5 to 9 before the 9 to 5 is glorified, is it any wonder that burnout continues to be a huge challenge for the industry? According to Leapers' research, 76% of freelancers took less time off than the legal minimum offered to employees. A fact that raises questions are at risk of normalising burnout and glorifying hustle culture?

For Knight, the issue is less the encouragement of hustle culture but the common reality that many people simply can’t afford to take time off. Just as the cost and lack of affordability of commuting is nowhere to be seen in the discussion on returning to the office, the reality is that freelance rates are not rising in line with the cost of living.

“Every day without work means less income, and in the last two years, when many have seen their income decline, combined with an increased cost of living, it can be hard to plan to take time off, or turn down work when it comes in,” says Knight. A harsh economic reality that is not a reflection of hustle culture or a scarcity mindset, but the simple fact that ever-increasing bills need to be paid. 

A truth which has a devastating impact on freelancers' mental and physical health. Freelancers take less time off for illness than employees on average. When you combine that with the lack of statutory sick pay, it is clear why so many just push through while their bodies keep the score.

Knight explains: “We see a larger number of people less able to work effectively when they’re experiencing poorer mental health, a smarter approach to taking time to rest is needed. It doesn’t need to be the classic two-week holiday - shorter weeks, shorter days, working 3 days on, 1 day off, etc, can all work well too.” 

The rise of the unplanned freelancer

Leapers' research underlines that many freelancers make the leap to freelancing out of necessity. According to the research, nearly 30% of those recently joining self-employment felt they had little other choice but to become self-employed. This number has doubled in the last two years.

“We often see people make their way into self-employment, especially around big periods of redundancies or economic uncertainty, but the last two years have been incredibly hard. Many freelancers we talk to report a sense of feeling like there are so many people freelancing right now, and it’s likely having an effect on day rates being lower than they should be,” explains Knight.

For those new to freelancing, especially for those who didn’t plan to make the move, Knight shares some simple yet nonetheless helpful advice. He explains: “Take time to invest in building yourself a network of fellow freelancers through communities. Surrounding yourself with others who have had similar experiences is incredibly useful, whether it’s having a group of people to ask questions of, overhearing and learning about things you didn’t know you needed to ask about, or just having folk who you can say hello to each day. The learning curve can be steep, but the climb is easier when shared.” 

The career comedown

The steepness of the mountain that freelancers climb is being exacerbated by poor behaviour from employers. While it is easy to repeat the mantra that someone else’s incompetence is not your emergency, when that incompetence stretches to late payments and ghosting, for many freelancers that behaviour is an emergency. The big question we are collectively avoiding as an industry is: Are we contributing to an unstable working environment by continuing to look the other way?

Bad behaviour is rife. According to the research, 39.3% of respondents said they felt disrespected at some point during the year. Ghosting was experienced by almost 50%, While 67.5% of freelancers dealt with late payments, and 81.2% of those affected reported it as a direct source of stress. 

Knight is keen to underline that the reason behind things like ghosting and late payments is almost never malicious, but a symptom of everyone feeling stretched, stressed and under-supported. Let’s be honest, the chances are that before you get to the end of reading this sentence, you can probably think of at least twenty emails you need to respond to.

Yet Knight urges against excuses. As organisations and individuals, we can do better. He believes that with more thoughtful processes, most of these issues can be easily avoided. “There are already laws in place around things like late payments, yet the number of small businesses that face late payments is still staggeringly high. So, I think we need more than just a code of conduct - but a mindset shift around why to work effectively with freelancers,” he says.

As the future of work continues to become more fluid and flexible, it is also important to recognise that this mindset shift is essential to building progressive, successful businesses.

As Knight explains: “Poor communication, poor process, and lack of support directly affects the productivity and creativity of your best freelancers - slowing projects down, increasing costs, decreasing ROI. Improving how you work with freelancers improves the profitability and quality of work.”

In a people-centred business, the simple truth remains that how you treat people matters. It may sound trite but kindness is good for business.

“If you’re treating your freelancers poorly, top talent won’t want to work with you again, over 90% of freelancers say they’ll avoid poor clients in the future, and they’ll tell fellow freelancers to avoid that client, which ends up increasing the talent costs to a business as they need to find new freelancers for next time,” adds Knight.

In an industry which sells itself on cultural currency, there is clearly an urgent job to be done in building better working cultures for freelancers. It is to Knight’s credit that six years into this endeavour, he remains singularly focused on leaving the industry better than he found it. A drive which extends beyond another headline or another charter. The time for empty promises has passed.