Freelance benefits that compete with the full-time crowd’s
Freelancers Union’s founder Sara Horowitz is now CEO of Trupo — a new kind of company that provides freelancers access to benefits including accident and critical illness insurance.
When I founded Freelancers Union over 20 years ago, I knew that the freelance workforce was here to stay and that the interests and concerns of independent workers needed representation. Now, I have launched Trupo in New York, New Jersey, and Texas. Trupo offers freelancers like you the enhanced benefits that HR departments give full-timers. These benefits, including accident and critical illness plans, are another important step in building a safety net for independent workers.
Why do independent workers need a safety net? Many of you have work that is consistent and reliable, but we all know that freelance work can be intermittent. This episodic income means that averaged on an annual basis, freelancers often make too much money for many aid and government programs that help full-timers get by. But your month-to-month income can vary drastically, and the money doesn’t come in at all if you get hurt or sick and needed time to heal.
At its core, Trupo believes joining together is the path for our freelance community to lead meaningful and sustainable lives. Our current system that tethers workers to employers is outdated and it is time to create a system for everyone who doesn’t fit within the confines of a “traditional” employee—which will soon be most of us! That’s why Trupo can be used by all independent workers: part-timers, contractors, self-employed, gig workers, temporary, and freelancers. Sacrifices come with the any job, but financial security shouldn’t be one of them.
Trupo helps protect your way of life by offering access to thoughtfully curated benefits packages to save you time and money, and can pay you if you’re hurt in an accident and unable to work. We understand that you are busy, so we ask just five questions (much faster than agreeing on a movie to watch) to generate a tailor-made package. You don’t even need fancy information or documents on hand to complete it.
Since Freelancers Union is a part owner, our mission can help to fund freelancer advocacy for years to come. As the founder of Freelancers Union, one of my goals in building Trupo was to continue to contribute to the union’s financial security—which will benefit the growing freelance community for generations.
It’s time that freelancers are provided with the security and sustainability that we have earned, and we’re building this in partnership with the groups you are already a part of, like the Freelancers Union, coworker.org, the Graphics Artists Guild, and the Authors Guild.
We believe that these groups take isolated freelancers and build collective strength in meaningful ways.
What groups build meaning in your life? We would love to connect with your freelance community—in-person or virtual—as we share this new option for freelancer security. Join the conversation.