UPDATE 06/11/2024. This nasty little company has now closed down. Sad that freelancers may lose work as a result, but not at all that this organisation’s unlawful employment practices are now at an end.

News has come in of a serious issue which might affect anyone who might be considering working for Future Studios (formerly Barcroft Productions).

This company has recently taken on a freelancer and then refused to accept their request to join the company’s pension scheme, a legal right which is afforded to anyone who works for a company for over three months. When asked about it, Director of Production Adam Mudditt refused to explain why.

Future Studios were then asked about other freelancer rights - specifically whether the company would honour freelancers’ holiday pay entitlements in the future (paid leave or holiday pay in lieu) - something which they also failed to confirm.

When asked the reason behind this, the company’s legal department cited the fact that the freelancer was self employed, claiming (incorrectly) that as a result they had no rights to join the company scheme (and were not allowed to by the time they left seven months later). This is also the reason they are giving for not honouring holiday pay entitlement.

This is a course of action which is pretty much unique to this one company. Others in the sector do (quite rightly) meet pension and holiday obligations to all their freelancers, and have done so since BECTU established that legal right when they were challenged as part of a freelancers’ campaign twenty years ago. Future Studios refused to take up the suggestion that they ask the union about this.

The reason why all these other companies do this is because all these freelancers, as well as being self employed, are also legally defined as “a worker” and consequentially have all the rights that go along with that status.

It’s also worth saying that all these other companies do this because they are also decent and fair employers, something which clearly doesn’t weigh particularly heavy in Future Studios’ calculations.

On their website, Future claim that “we're a people business first and foremost and we believe in nurturing a smart, diverse and inclusive culture which brings people together from all backgrounds and lets them shine”. Rhetoric which is particularly hollow given their current attitude.

If anyone is offered work by this company or comes across this issue after they have started, do feel free to get in touch. And if you’re a member of BECTU, do take up the issue via them.

Meanwhile Future Studios: Freelancers Beware!