Independent workers are not at the edge of the workforce – they are one step ahead of it. They're also serving as their own personal CEO: running operations, strategy, and prospecting for the one-person company they manage on their own.
2026 will be a turning point for UK freelancers. Regulation is tightening, clients are rethinking how they access talent, and AI is reshaping what “expertise” actually means. Freelancers who treat their work like a micro-business - compliant, specialised and technology-enabled - will be the ones who thrive.
What's next? We spoke with Malt's CTO Claire Lebarz to better understand what to expect on the tech landscape in 2026.
The dream of freelancing is often painted with images of working from a sunny cafe, setting your own hours, and enjoying newfound flexibility. But the reality can be more of a challenge. Traditional 9-to-5 boundaries are suddenly gone, leaving you to be your own boss, motivator, and timekeeper. So how can you ensure you thrive?
There’s a persistent belief in many organisations: hiring a freelancer is simply too expensive, as it’s about double what an employee costs. In fact, that belief overlooks the full story. When you break down the numbers and take into account the hidden employer costs, suddenly the numbers are not that different... Let’s take a closer look.
Finding the perfect freelancer is rarely a solo mission. For strategic or complex projects, you need input from technical leads, other managers, and maybe even procurement or HR teams. At Malt, we believe hiring should be a seamless team sport, not an administrative headache.
Join thousands of clients and find missions suited to your skills, today.
As a freelancer, you're often on your own when you need a little boost of confidence after a particularly challenging project. In this deep-dive, we're exploring the experience of "imposter syndrome" and offering you tips on how to restore your self-esteem during particularly challenging times.
Malt's Editorial Collective gathers insights from our exceptional community of freelancers. The views and opinions expressed in this piece are those of the author, and are published to encourage a diversity of perspectives and insights.
Sustainability reporting is becoming mandatory - and many companies now need guidance. Who is affected? What applies when? And how can all this be implemented efficiently? In a recent Malt webinar with our German team, CSRD expert Laurin Flörke showed what really matters now – and where companies urgently need support. For freelancers, this means: anyone who can bring structure into the reporting jungle is in greater demand than ever.
Malt's Editorial Collective gathers insights from our exceptional community of freelancers. The views and opinions expressed in this piece are those of the author, and are published to encourage a diversity of perspectives and insights.
The Malt Tech Trends 2025 event in London brought together a packed audience of data, AI and digital leaders to explore how organisations are adapting to new technologies and the skills reshaping their teams.
Work can be good for our mental health. It gives us purpose, structure, and opportunities to connect with others and develop useful skills. But sometimes, if our environment isn’t right, it can affect our physical and emotional health. This can lead to burnout. Here I explore what burnout is, and steps you can take to help.
