The advantages of working from home mostly outweigh the ones for working in a corporate cubicle – however, being sick when you’re a freelancer can be challenging.
Let’s say you wake up with a case of the flu in full bloom. You don’t have the strength to get dressed or take a shower. Luckily, the project that you have to do as a sick freelancer is lying on the table in the next room. Here’s what you do: Grab a housecoat and slippers, bring the table with the project to your bedside, crawl back in bed propped up with pillows and the vaporizer blowing medicated steam on your head, and start thumping out the project.
As a freelancer, one of the things that gives you an edge is your professionalism – so even when you’re sick, you can and must be professional about it. Each situation in the life of a freelancer has its challenges, and you must meet those obstacles – one step at a time. You can do this by following a few simple steps:
- Look at your calendar and determine whether you’ll need additional time to finish the project;
- Call the client if the delay will be significant or if you won’t be able to make an exact due date;
- Re-prioritize the project to accommodate the delay.
![Sick Kevin]()
Guard Against Guilt
By all means, don’t let guilt and panic take over. Everybody gets sick, and your client knows that. When you set up the due date with the client, more than likely you set up a range, such as May 18 to May 25, for the project.
Most clients are adaptable to variations in the due date schedule if you keep in touch with them. Clients do not like silence because they think you’ve skipped out with their money and an incomplete project.
Set up a Work Schedule
Along with communicating with your client, it may help you to set up a work schedule to accommodate your illness. You can adjust the following schedule depending on how sick you are:
- Work 50 – 60 minutes;
- Rest with your eyes closed for 30 – 40 minutes;
- Work 50 – 60 minutes;
- Rest for 60 -90 minutes;
Be Predictable
Anything you do on that sick day will put you closer to finishing the project. You should feel good about your accomplishment, even if you only accomplish part of what you would have done on a regular workday. If you have a major illness to the point of being hospitalized, you can do several things:
- Communicate with your client(s);
- Ask your client(s) how you can make adjustments with the due date;
- Set up the next time you will contact your client(s).
Each of these things gives continuity to your relationship with the client, and he or she will respect you for that.
Above all else, do not get discouraged. Just reposition your goals, your due date, your workday, and your work methods. Being a freelancer can work to your advantage when you’re sick. Grab that box of tissue and snuggle in for a freelancer’s sick day of work
This post was authored by Aimee Sway, blogging for PrintExpress.co.uk, the premiere booklet printing company.