EAP Support for Freelancers and Gig Workers: What’s Missing (and How We Fix It)

Written By Aimee Davies

If you’re a freelancer, gig worker, or independent creative, chances are you’ve had at least one of these thoughts:

“I wish I had someone to talk to about this burnout.”
“Do I even qualify for mental health support through this project?”
“I’m not an employee — does that mean I just have to deal with it on my own?”

You’re not imagining it. Traditional Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) weren’t built for you.

They were designed for 9–5 employees in permanent roles, not project-based artists, independent producers, designers, or facilitators juggling five contracts at once.

But that’s changing — and at Hey Mate, we’re leading that shift.

🚫 The Problem: Most EAPs Don’t Include Freelancers

Even though freelancers are the backbone of the creative and community sectors, most EAPs still:

  • Only cover salaried employees

  • Exclude contractors and casuals

  • Offer support during limited hours

  • Require navigating rigid portals or hotlines

  • Don’t “get” the mental load of freelancing, pitching, or project-based survival

That means many of the people most likely to experience burnout, isolation, trauma, or financial stress don’t get access to the very support they need.

💡 In the arts, over 60% of workers are freelance or casual. And many support others long before they’re supported themselves.

🧠 Freelancer Mental Health: What’s Actually Needed

Creative freelancers and gig workers face unique pressures, like:

  • Burnout from constant self-promotion and gig-hopping

  • No sick leave, annual leave, or real downtime

  • Vicarious trauma in care, education, or facilitation roles

  • Financial instability and unpredictable income

  • Lack of HR or internal wellbeing support

  • Deep emotional investment in their work — and exhaustion when that work is undervalued

Freelancers don’t need a benefits package.
They need support that’s flexible, values-aligned, trauma-informed — and accessible on their terms.

🛠 How Hey Mate Does It Differently

We created Hey Mate to fill this exact gap.

Here’s how we support freelancers, contractors, gig workers, and creative collaborators:

1. ✅ Freelancer-Friendly EAP Access

We work with organisations (like festivals, arts orgs, creative agencies, and community orgs) to offer EAP access to their freelance teams — not just staff.

That means:

  • Artists, performers, techs, facilitators, and producers can all access support

  • No permanent contract needed

  • Support continues during and after projects

2. ✅ Pay-as-You-Go Support for Micro Orgs + Collectives

Don’t have a big budget? You can still offer support to your freelance collaborators.

We offer pay-as-you-go EAP and counselling options — ideal for:

  • Small studios

  • Emerging festivals

  • Collectives

  • Community projects

  • Individuals who want flexible, trauma-informed support

3. ✅ Booking That Works for Freelancers

We don’t make you call a 1300 number on your lunch break.

You can book via:

  • Portal

  • Phone

  • Email

  • Or even DM (yes, seriously)

4. ✅ Culturally Safe, Sector-Specific Support

Our counsellors and trainers understand:

  • Creative burnout

  • Vicarious trauma

  • Identity, purpose, and artistic pressure

  • Neurodivergence

  • Working at the intersection of art, care, and survival

We won’t ask, “Have you tried a gratitude journal?”
We’ll say, “Yeah, burnout is real. Let’s talk through it.”

🧡 Why It Matters

When freelancers feel supported, they’re more creative, more connected, and more likely to stick around.

They’re also:

  • Less likely to hit burnout mid-project

  • More equipped to navigate challenges

  • Better able to build sustainable careers in sectors that desperately need them

Supporting freelancers is a retention strategy. A care strategy. A values strategy.

🎤 Real Talk for Orgs + Funders

If you:

  • Commission freelancers

  • Rely on contract-based creatives

  • Run programs with gig workers

  • Work with community-based collaborators

  • Care about ethical employment in the arts

…it’s time to ask: Do our freelancers have access to support — or are they carrying the emotional load alone?

Hey Mate makes it easy (and affordable) to offer EAP support to everyone on your team — not just those on payroll.

Let’s Redefine What EAP Means

Freelancers are workers.
Contractors are collaborators.
Creatives are people — not machines.

They all deserve care.

Hey Mate is an EAP built for the creative industries, freelancers, gig workers, and purpose-led teams.
Trauma-informed. Peer-aware. Flexible. And actually useful.

📧 hello@theheymateproject.com
🌐 www.theheymateproject.com

Aimee Davies
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