Freelancer Management

Once freelancers are connected to your company through the application process, they become part of your extended crew. This article covers how to manage connected freelancers, monitor compliance, handle invoices and purchase orders, and process payments.

Connected freelancers in your crew

Connected freelancers appear alongside your internal staff members in the Crew List and the Scheduling Planner. They are distinguished by a freelancer badge on their profile card, but otherwise they can be searched, filtered, and scheduled in the same way as permanent employees. This unified view ensures you always see your full available workforce when planning projects.

Freelancer data visible to your company

When a freelancer is connected, the following information is available to your team:

• Node identifier — The freelancer's unique identifier on the NexusRMS Nodes platform
• Skills and proficiency levels — The skill categories the freelancer has listed on their Node profile, along with their self-assessed proficiency level for each skill
• Internal rating — Your company's private rating of the freelancer, based on performance reviews you have submitted. This rating is visible only to your team.
• Average rating — The freelancer's average rating across all companies they work with. This gives you a broader perspective on their reputation in the industry.
• Jobs completed — The total number of jobs the freelancer has completed across all connected companies
• Completion rate — The percentage of accepted bookings that the freelancer completed successfully, without cancellation or no-show

Compliance tracking

Compliance is critical when working with freelancers. NexusRMS tracks compliance status automatically and enforces rules to protect your business.

Compliance statuses

• Compliant — All required documents and certifications are current and valid
• Expiring soon — One or more documents will expire within the configured warning period (default 30 days)
• Non-compliant — One or more required documents have expired or are missing
• Unknown — Compliance status cannot be determined because the freelancer has not uploaded the required documents

PLI (Public Liability Insurance)

Public Liability Insurance is a fundamental requirement for most freelance work. NexusRMS tracks the PLI status and expiry date for each connected freelancer. When a freelancer's PLI expires, their compliance status automatically changes to non-compliant.

Certification expiry tracking

Beyond PLI, individual certifications (such as IPAF, PASMA, First Aid, and IOSH) are tracked with their expiry dates. The system sends automated reminders as certifications approach expiry, giving freelancers time to renew before they become non-compliant.

Compliance blocking

Freelancers with a non-compliant or expired compliance status cannot be booked onto projects. The scheduling system enforces this rule automatically — if you attempt to assign a non-compliant freelancer to a project, the system displays a warning and prevents the assignment. This ensures your company never inadvertently books uninsured or uncertified crew.

Freelancer availability

Freelancer availability is pulled from the FreelancerAvailabilityService and displayed in the scheduling planner alongside internal staff availability. Freelancers manage their own availability through their Node profile, marking dates as available, unavailable, or tentative. When you open the planner, you see a unified view of all crew availability — both internal and freelance — allowing you to make informed scheduling decisions.

Freelancer invoices

Freelancers submit invoices for completed work through their Node. These invoices appear in your NexusRMS system for review and payment processing.

Invoice statuses

• Pending — The freelancer has submitted the invoice and it is awaiting review
• Approved — A Core Admin has reviewed and approved the invoice. It moves to the payment queue.
• Rejected — The invoice has been rejected, typically due to discrepancies in hours, rates, or scope. A rejection reason is sent to the freelancer.
• Paid — Payment has been processed and confirmed

Reviewing invoices

To review freelancer invoices, navigate to Crew List and select the Freelancer Invoices tab. Each invoice displays the freelancer's name, invoice date, amount, and status. Click on an invoice to view full details including line items, hours worked, and the associated project. From the detail view, click Approve or Reject (with a reason).

Purchase orders

Purchase orders are generated by your company and sent to freelancers to formally confirm a booking. A purchase order includes the agreed rate, working dates, scope of work, and any special requirements. Purchase orders provide a clear written agreement that protects both parties and ensures expectations are aligned before work begins.

Payments

Once invoices are approved, payments can be processed through several methods:

• Bank transfer — Manual bank transfer using the freelancer's bank details stored on their Node profile
• Stripe — Automated payment processing through your connected Stripe account
• Manual — Record a payment made outside the system (e.g., cash, cheque, or alternative payment platform)

For every completed payment, a remittance advice PDF is generated automatically and made available to both your company and the freelancer. This document confirms the amount paid, the invoice reference, and the payment date.

All payment activity is tracked in the Crew List > Payments & POs tab, where you can filter by freelancer, date range, status, and payment method.

Connection limits

Freelancer connection limits are determined by the freelancer's Node subscription tier and apply to new connections per calendar month. Limits reset on the first of each month:

• FREE tier — 5 new connections per month
• Lite tier (£9.99/month) — 20 new connections per month
• Pro tier (£19.99/month) — Unlimited new connections per month

These limits apply to the freelancer, not to your company. Your company can accept unlimited freelancer applications regardless of your subscription plan.

Tips

• Monitor compliance proactively — Do not wait until booking time to discover a freelancer is non-compliant. Review the compliance dashboard regularly and notify freelancers of upcoming expiries.
• Process invoices promptly — Timely payment builds strong relationships with freelancers and ensures they prioritise your bookings in the future.
• Use purchase orders consistently — Even for repeat freelancers, a purchase order for each booking provides a clear audit trail and prevents rate disputes.
• Rate freelancers after every project — Consistent performance reviews help you identify your best freelancers and make better hiring decisions over time.
• Check both internal and average ratings — A freelancer may perform differently across companies. Comparing your internal rating with the industry average reveals whether your experience is typical or an outlier.

Next steps

Continue to the Crew Invitations article to learn how to invite crew members and freelancers to specific projects, or explore the Performance Reviews article to understand how to rate and review your crew.