Working as a Freelancer at Paramount UK
Opportunities
We love working with talented people like you! From runners to Exec Producers we may well have the right freelance opportunity for you.
Our who’s who is sprinkled with stardust: Channel 5, Paramount +, milkshake!, My5, PlutoTV, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, BET and more. In 2020, we even made our first children’s sitcom for Nickelodeon.
Have you got the talent to help us create great content?
Onboarding and compliance
Terminology
Freelancer, temp, contractor, consultant – while different terminology might be used across various industries and companies, here at Paramount, when we talk about ‘freelancers’, we mean all non-staff categories.
So, whether you are an individual or have a limited company, if you’re supplying personal services to us, we will refer to you as a “freelancer”.
This covers our PAYE Workers, Sole Traders (also known as ex-Schedule D or self-employed individuals) and Limited Companies (also known as Personal Service Companies (PSC)) across every corner of the business. You could be in production, post-production, the office, behind or in front of the camera.
You could be engaged as a presenter, contributor, gaffer, editor, compliance specialist or data analyst.
If you have any questions about your employment or tax status (which have different terminology), please email us at freelancersUK@vimn.com, and we’ll be happy to help.
Right to work in the UK
We legally have to check that you have a right to work in the UK. If you’re British, we’ll check your passport, and that’s it. If you’re not British, we will also need your Settled Status Letter or Visa. We appreciate this is extra admin, but it is a legal requirement for us to do this, and we can be fined £20,000 (yes £20,000 per person!) for not doing this right. So please do supply the required documents when asked for.
Insurances
We have our own insurances covering all sorts of things, including accidents and errors (especially in the production environment), but if you’re self-employed (either as a Sole trader – individual; or PSC with your own limited company), we need to make sure you have adequate insurances in place. Your insurances should cover:
[1] Public Indemnity [2] Errors and Omissions (also known as Professional Indemnity) and [3] Employer Liability if you are a limited company using substitutes or subcontractors.
[1] Public liability insurance is your protection if your business activities kill or injure a member of the public or damage their property. If that person takes you to court, it will cover your legal costs, as well as any compensation you have to pay. We know that sounds a bit scary, but it’s a must for any self-employed freelancer working in or with the public.
[2] Errors and Omissions / Professional Indemnity insurance helps protect you from lawsuits claiming you made a mistake, error or omission in your professional services. The reality is that any small business providing a professional service that can be challenged is vulnerable to a claim of negligence when the advice or service fails to meet a client’s expectations. From allegations of breach of copyright to accusations of defamation, these kinds of claims can be costly and disruptive, whether they’re fair or not.
[3] Employer liability insurance is designed to cover the costs if an employee claims compensation for illness or injury that they believe has been caused by their work. You must legally have this cover if you are using a substitute or are subcontracting others; otherwise this is not a standard insurance requirement.
DBS Checks
If you are working with us on an engagement that includes children or vulnerable adults, you must provide us with a DBS check (which you will need to pay for). All engagements covering Nickelodeon or Channel 5 Milkshake must have a DBS check (basic is fine).
Please check out this link, which details how to get your DBS check and then forward it to freelancersUK@vimn.com with your freelancer form and other requested documents.
Our values and policies
At Paramount, all our freelancers, contractors and vendors (non-staff) should conduct themselves in accordance with all applicable rules, regulations and laws of the country they are engaged in and uphold Paramount values at all times.
Any unreasonable or unlawful conduct will result in an investigation and potentially in the termination of the contract. We expect all of our non-staff to:
- Embrace our values as an organisation. (See our Life at Paramount section for more information)
- Act ethically and with integrity
- Comply with our Business Practices
- Respect the rights of everyone in the Paramount community, including all employees, officers, consultants, contractors, freelancers, talent, crew, volunteers, interns, casual workers, agency workers and those engaged by either third party production companies or personal services companies performing work for our business
- Not harass, bully or discriminate anyone
- Take care of their own and others’ safety
- Not engage in any fraudulent activity
- Report any behaviour not compliant with the code to an HR representative (freelancersUK@vimn.com )
Please see our Privacy Policy here.
“Sprinkle your freelance CV with some stardust and work with us across our iconic channels! ”
Contacts and reporting
We expect the entire Paramount community to adhere to our business standards.
However, no statement or code of conduct can cover every situation that may arise in a complex business environment such as ours. Should you become aware of a potential violation of our policies, please speak up and report your concerns. You can contact your reporting manager or our dedicated freelancer team at freelancersUK@vimn.com
If you would like to report a situation anonymously, please visit OPENLINE to submit an online report. We always encourage your questions and feedback
“Fairness and inclusivity are the words we live by. They matter to us!”
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