Breaking Up (With Your Freelancer)

I will always believe that romantic relationships and work bear striking similarities, and I see those similarities when professional and romantic relationships come to an end. Everyone knows there’s no good way to break up with someone, but there are better ways and worse ways.

There are times when you’ll need to break up with a freelancer. Read on to learn why you might need to end that relationship and how you can end it with minimum risk to your brand.

Why You Need to Break Up, Part I: It’s Not Them, It’s You

Raise your hand if you’ve heard this line during a breakup: “It’s not you, it’s me.” When it comes to freelancers, it might be true, though. There are times when things change in your business and working with a freelancer is no longer viable, and it has nothing to do with the freelancer’s performance and/or the quality of their work. Here are some examples:

• The business case is no longer relevant. Maybe you’re moving into a new market, or maybe the market you’re in is no longer the right fit for you. Maybe you’re transforming your product or service, and the freelancer’s skills aren’t a good fit anymore.

• Your company can’t afford to keep the freelancer on because of poor sales.

• The amount of work has increased, but the freelancer doesn’t want to come on as a full-time employee.

Why You Need to Break Up, Part II: No, It’s Definitely Them

You might be in a situation where you’re doing everything right, but the freelancer is not. Here are some examples of why it’s time to let a freelancer go:

• The freelancer isn’t meeting contractual obligations, such as turning work in on time.

• The freelancer isn’t communicative about the progress of the project.

• The freelancer delivers work that doesn’t meet the agreed-upon standards.

• The freelancer is rude to your staff and/or to your clients.

• The freelancer isn’t following agreed-upon protocols.

How to Break Up with Your Freelancer

Think about your worst breakup. I’m guessing it was awful because you didn’t see it coming—there was no warning. Things were going okay—how could the other person break up with you? Shock battled with anger and sadness for dominance.

Some companies also dump their freelancers out of the blue, and the results are similar. Earlier this year, one of my clients stopped working with me and gave me zero notice. I only found out because I tried to access Slack and it wouldn’t open. Apparently, my point of contact left the company and neglected to tell me they no longer needed my services.

Giving the freelancer no notice is not the way to end your working relationship. It makes your company look bad, even if you had a reason to fire the freelancer. The good news is that there are better ways to get rid of freelancers while minimizing bad blood and the risk to your company.

If It’s Not the Freelancer’s Fault

Let’s say that you no longer need the freelancer, but it’s not because of anything the freelancer did (or didn’t do, as the case may be). Be honest with them, or as honest as you can be. You don’t have to get into the intricacies of the situation—just explain that the company is in a transition period and their services aren’t necessary any longer.

This isn’t about sparing their feelings; it’s about minimizing risk to your company. You don’t want the freelancer to badmouth your company, and you also want to make sure they’re aware the relationship is over. You don’t want them trying to win back your business if it isn’t feasible (although on the other hand, if you want to work with them again, you can leave the door open to that possibility).

Make sure you pay any outstanding invoices as quickly as you can. If the freelancer has done outstanding work, refer them to others. You might not be able to work with them anymore, but by recommending them, you’re ending the relationship on a positive note.

If It’s the Freelancer’s Fault

Let’s say you want to end the relationship because the freelancer is doing some of the things mentioned above (not turning in work on time, not delivering high quality work, being rude, etc.). You’d be right to end the relationship. However, before you do that, have you spoken to the freelancer about why these things are a problem? Is the freelancer aware of the issue(s)? Even if they’re in the wrong, firing them out of the blue is still not the right thing to do. You didn’t give them a chance to correct the problem, and there’s the risk they will drag your name through the mud.

Again, be honest. Explain what they’ve done (or haven’t done). As tempting as it is to not pay their invoice, it might be less costly in the long run to settle up with them—you don’t want them taking you to court.

Breakups Pave the Way for New Beginnings

Ending any relationship isn’t easy, even the business variety. Firing a freelancer can be just as difficult as firing a full-time employee, but when you handle the situation with professionalism and take the time to learn from your experiences, everyone can move forward to bigger and better things.