As a freelance writer, I’ve always worked weekends. Because my day job was at a law firm, I usually went into the office to work one or both weekend days, and when I didn’t go to the office, I worked from home. Very rarely did I take a day off. So, I have always been in the habit of working seven days a week. However, I figured I was the exception.
Most freelance writers I know claim that they started freelancing in order to have a more flexible lifestyle (i.e., work when they want to). I always assumed most freelance writers took at least part of the weekend off. But, I recently found out I’m not the only one plugging away more than five days per week.
Jayne Seymour, editor of Telecommuting-Writing-Jobs.com (a website I write and blog for), recently ran a poll on her telecommuting writing jobs blog to determine how many of her visitors actively seek freelance writing jobs on weekends. She ran the poll to determine whether or not it was worth it to continue to pay those of us who blog for her to keep searching for jobs and posting them on weekends. I was surprised to learn that over 50 people voted in her poll that they regularly seek freelance writing jobs on both Saturdays and Sundays. She had an additional 100 or so people send her emails telling her how much they appreciate the leads for writing jobs on weekends, especially Sundays, since virtually no other job board currently provides leads all weekend long. Several people said they’d be willing to pay a fee for weekend job leads (the service is currently free, and according to Jayne, it will remain that way). A few freelance writers even offered to volunteer their services to search for job leads on weekends, should her bloggers not wish to continue the weekend search. I’d told Jayne I’d be happy to take over weekend blogging (currently, the job is divided up so that four of us each take a full week, including both weekend days for our week). But however she decides to work it, she has told me she will keep the blog going on weekends, because it seems to be important to so many people. 150 people might not seem like very many, but considering she’s only had her blog up for a few months, and she already has several hundred (maybe a thousand by now) subscribers, to me 150 people seems like a lot.
So, do you work weekends? And if so, do you think of it as part of the job, or do you regret not taking weekends off?
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I do work weekends, Saturdays mostly, but I am looking forward to getting to the point where I don’t have to work weekends anymore. Summer months are my busiest.
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