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Kayley HartThe Small Team Builder

Your First Hire

Employee vs Freelancer Decision Tool

Organises the factors — control, continuity, integration, equipment, risk and cost profile — without making an employment-status determination.

Takes about 4 minutes. Your answers stay in your browser, and no email address is required to see your result.

This tool does not determine employment status. Status for tax and employment-rights purposes depends on the full facts of the arrangement. Use it to organise your thinking, then check GOV.UK employment status guidance and HMRC's CEST tool.

How the work would be controlled and organised

You would decide how, when and where the work is done.

The work is ongoing with no end point.

The person would be part of your team and represent your business.

You would provide the equipment and systems.

You would expect them to work only for you during agreed hours.

How independent and bounded the work would be

The work is a defined project with a deliverable and an end date.

You need specialist expertise you would not use every week.

You would be content for them to send a substitute.

They would carry the financial risk of putting mistakes right.

You need to scale the commitment up and down month by month.

Employee or freelancer?

Your answers point both ways. That usually means the work has not been scoped tightly enough yet.

Pattern consistent with employment0 / 100
Pattern consistent with freelance engagement0 / 100

Whichever route you take, write down the outcome, the review point and the commercial terms before work starts. Then confirm status through the GOV.UK and HMRC links above.

Assumptions and limitations
  • Factors are grouped and displayed. No legal conclusion is produced and no weighting is claimed to reflect statute or case law.
  • A difference of less than 12 points is reported as inconclusive rather than as a lean.
  • Employment and HR information on this site is general information for UK small-business owners, not legal advice. Employment law is fact-sensitive. Check current GOV.UK and Acas guidance and take advice from a qualified employment adviser before acting on anything that affects someone's job.

Methodology and calculation

This tool is designed with transparency in mind. The results are calculated based on the following logic:

  • Factors are grouped, weighted and displayed. No legal conclusion is produced.
  • Users are directed to GOV.UK employment status guidance and HMRC's CEST tool for status questions.

Limitations and scope

  • It cannot and does not determine employment status for tax or employment-rights purposes.
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