creative industry freelancers
are struggling.
68%* of freelancers saw poor mental health
negatively impacting their ability to work in 2025
40%* of freelancers felt their
mental health decline in 2025
It's time to get Freelancer Friendly.
Let's support the people we rely upon.
1
Signpost to
support and resources
Ensure your freelancers know where they can find support when they need it most.
We'll help you with free links to industry resources, tools, charities and communities, to include in your onboarding.
2
Publish your
Freelance Friendly policy
It's a framework to communicate how you're supporting freelancers, and a blueprint for continuous improvement.
It costs nothing to get started, and we can give you some guidance what matters most.
Signpost to
support and resources
Ensure your freelancers know where they can find support when they need it most.
We'll help you with free links to industry resources, tools, charities and communities, to include in your onboarding.
Publish your
Freelance Friendly policy
It's a framework to communicate how you're supporting freelancers, and a blueprint for continuous improvement.
It costs nothing to get started, and we can give you some guidance what matters most.
Many creative industry freelancers saw their significant challenges in 2025.
Difficult economic conditions, redundancies, financial insecurity, and poor client behaviours combined with a steep learning curve, issues of isolation and minimal support - has led to a significant impact on too many people.
This hurt freelancers.
- ↓ Productivity – direct impact on ability to work
- ↓ Wellbeing – physical and emotional impact and isolation
- ↓ Finances – decline in income and stability
- ↓ Skills – lack of investment in training and development
This hurt businesses.
- ↑ Project Costs – tangible negative impact on delivery
- ↓ Productivity – decline in focus and efficacy
- ↓ Creativity – decline in quality of outputs
- ↓ Expertise – loss of talent from workforce
And the industry is increasingly shifting to a core+freelance model.
Today, around 32%* of the creative industry is freelance.
Nearly half** of CEOs say they are increasing the use of contractors.
* DCMS, 2025
** Upwork, 2026
We all want to do better for our people but freelancers fall between the cracks.
We get it.
Supporting freelancers can be a challenge.
IR35, capacity, capability, accountability. It's challenging to get right for people you don't have legal obligation towards.
But if we rely upon these people to deliver for us… Can we risk preventing them from being able to work well?
And when 96% of freelancers say they'll avoid clients who didn't support them to work well.
Can you afford to not?
For 8+ years, Leapers has been supporting freelancers' mental health, and we've helped over 250,000 people.
Now it's time for you to join in.
Leapers is looking for creative leaders to work with us, demonstrating real change.
We're not asking you to put on free pizza and wellbeing days for freelancers.
Just a few small changes that lead to positive outcomes.
Everything we suggest is based upon a stepped approach:
"Signpost to Support", "Do No Harm" and "Modern Mindsets"
If you only DO ONE THING, we ask that you:
Signpost your freelancers to
support and resources.
Just signpost people in your onboarding.
You don't have to gather these resources.
We can give you everything you need to point them to.
Let us help you help your freelancers.
There's no cost to get started.
If you want to really make a difference, we ask that you:
Commit to the
Freelance Friendly
policy framework
It's a framework which helps you communicate how you're supporting freelancers.
And it provides a blueprint for continuous improvement.
See an example here.
There's no cost to get started.
Most of this comes with minimal effort
and incremental benefit.
To your ROI and reputation,
and your freelancers' work and wellbeing.
The moment for manifestos has gone.
The time for pledges has passed.
Make 2026 the year you become Freelance Friendly.
Sign up to support.
Find out more about our work at www.leapers.co
Get in touch at [email protected]