Self-Employed Contractor Terms

1. This Document

1.1These Self-Employed Contractor Terms govern the commercial relationship between FLEXSHFT Limited (“FLEXSHFT”, “we”, “us”) and you as a self-employed independent professional (“Contractor”, “you”) registered on the FLEXSHFT Platform.

1.2 By accepting these Terms at onboarding, you confirm you are entering into a commercial agreement with FLEXSHFT in your capacity as a self-employed independent professional operating your own business. You are not entering into an employment relationship, a worker relationship, or any other relationship other than a commercial one.

1.3 These Terms must be read alongside the FLEXSHFT Terms of Service, which you also accept at onboarding. These Terms take precedence over the Terms of Service in the event of any conflict in relation to matters specific to your engagement as a Contractor.

2. What Self-Employment Actually Means

2.1 As a self-employed independent professional, you are in business on your own account. You decide how, where, when, for whom, and at what rate you work. No one — including FLEXSHFT — tells you how to do your job.

2.2 Being genuinely self-employed means accepting real commercial risks alongside the freedom it brings. In particular:

• if you are unable to work for any reason — illness, personal circumstances, or any other cause — you will have no income from the work you miss. There is no sick pay, no guarantee of income, and no obligation on FLEXSHFT or any Business Client to provide you with work
• you are liable for any damage or loss you cause to a Business Client, their customers, or any third party through your own negligent acts or omissions
• you are responsible for managing your own finances — setting aside money for income tax, National Insurance, and any other fiscal obligations, and considering whether you need to register for VAT if your annual turnover exceeds the VAT registration threshold
• you bear the risk of a Business Client not paying or paying late. FLEXSHFT operates a 7-day payment window and will suspend non-paying Business Clients, but ultimate responsibility for recovering unpaid amounts rests with you as the creditor
• you are responsible for arranging your own insurance appropriate to your activities

2.3 These are not warnings designed to discourage you. They are the honest reality of running your own business, and understanding them is part of operating genuinely and compliantly as a self-employed professional.

2.4 Nothing in these Terms, the FLEXSHFT Terms of Service, or any Per-SHFT Contract creates an employment relationship, a worker relationship, or any other non-commercial relationship between you and FLEXSHFT.

2.5 Nothing in these Terms, the FLEXSHFT Terms of Service, or any Per-SHFT Contract creates an employment relationship, a worker relationship, or any other non-commercial relationship between you and any Business Client as a result of your engagement through the Platform.

2.6 FLEXSHFT does not manage you, give you instructions, monitor your performance, or evaluate how you carry out your work. FLEXSHFT does not determine how, when, or by whom work is performed. These are matters you agree directly with Business Clients.

3. Your Self-Employed Status — What Determines It

3.1 You confirm that you are genuinely self-employed and operate as an independent professional in business on your own account.

3.2 You acknowledge that the legal characterisation of your relationship with any Business Client is determined by the substance of your working arrangement with them — not by the label applied to it in any contract. The degree of control a Business Client exercises over how you carry out your work, and any pattern of regular repeat engagements with the same Business Client, may be relevant to how that relationship is legally characterised.

3.3 You are solely responsible for managing your engagements with Business Clients in a manner consistent with genuine self-employment. In practice this means: retaining control over how you perform your work; working for multiple clients and not becoming economically dependent on a single Business Client; and ensuring the reality of each engagement reflects its self-employed characterisation.

3.4 FLEXSHFT does not advise on your employment status and accepts no responsibility for any finding that you have worker or employee status in relation to any Business Client.

4. Multiple Clients and Independence

4.1 A genuine self-employed professional works for multiple clients and has variable income as a result. You are free to work for any other business, platform, or client at any time, including on the same dates as SHFTs you work through FLEXSHFT. FLEXSHFT imposes no exclusivity obligation on you.

4.2 We actively encourage you to work across multiple Business Clients through the Platform and outside it. Economic dependence on a single client is inconsistent with genuine self-employment and could affect how your working relationships are legally characterised.

4.3 FLEXSHFT has no objection to you working through competing platforms, for competing businesses, or in any other commercial capacity. This is entirely your own decision as an independent professional.

5. Platform Access Conditions

5.1 To access SHFTs through the Platform you must at all times:

• have successfully completed identity and right-to-work verification through Sumsub
• hold a valid, unexpired right to work in the United Kingdom
• where required for the specific role, hold valid, current, and appropriate qualifications, licences, and certifications
• maintain an active FLEXSHFT account in good standing
• comply with these Terms and the FLEXSHFT Terms of Service

5.2 Your right to work in the United Kingdom is your own responsibility. You must notify FLEXSHFT immediately if your right-to-work status changes, expires, or becomes subject to new restrictions.

5.3 Where your right to work is subject to conditions — including any restriction on working hours — you are solely responsible for ensuring your FLEXSHFT activity does not breach those conditions. FLEXSHFT monitors hours booked through the Platform only and cannot monitor hours you work for other clients or platforms.

6. Your Obligations as a Self-Employed Professional

6.1 You will attend each confirmed SHFT at the agreed venue and time and carry out the role to a reasonable professional standard consistent with your skills and experience.

6.2You will comply with the Business Client's reasonable on-site instructions relating to venue logistics, health and safety, and customer-facing conduct. Such instructions relate to the context in which you deliver your services and do not extend to dictating your professional method or approach. Compliance with on-site instructions does not affect your status as a self-employed independent professional.

6.3 You will treat the Business Client, their staff, and their customers with professionalism and respect.

6.4 You will not represent yourself as an employee of the Business Client or of FLEXSHFT.

6.5 Tax and fiscal obligations. You are solely responsible for:

• registering as self-employed with HMRC if you have not already done so
• reporting your income from the Platform and all other sources in your self-assessment tax return
• paying income tax and Class 2 and Class 4 National Insurance contributions on your profits
• assessing whether your total annual turnover from all sources exceeds the VAT registration threshold and, if so, registering for VAT and charging and accounting for VAT on your services
• setting aside sufficient funds throughout the year to meet these obligations when they fall due

FLEXSHFT does not deduct tax or National Insurance from your payments. Payments to you are gross commercial payments. FLEXSHFT does not provide tax advice and accepts no liability for any tax obligation arising from your activity on the Platform.

6.6 Insurance. As a self-employed professional you should hold appropriate insurance for your activities. You should consider at minimum:

• Public liability insurance: covering you for claims brought by third parties — including Business Clients, their customers, and members of the public — arising from your negligent acts or omissions during a SHFT
• Personal accident and income protection insurance: covering loss of income in the event you are unable to work

FLEXSHFT does not currently provide insurance on behalf of Contractors. You are responsible for arranging and maintaining your own cover. You will produce evidence of relevant insurance to a Business Client or to FLEXSHFT on request.

7. Your Profile

7.1 Your profile is your professional calling card on the Platform. You are solely responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and lawfulness of all information on your profile, including your stated skills, experience, qualifications, availability, and any photographs or introduction videos you upload.

7.2 Profile information must be truthful, accurate, and not misleading, discriminatory, defamatory, or otherwise unlawful.

7.3 FLEXSHFT accepts no liability for the content of your profile.

8. Your Right of Substitution

8.1You have a genuine and exercisable right to arrange for a suitably qualified substitute to perform any SHFT in your place. This right is not conditional on FLEXSHFT's approval of the substitute.

8.2 To exercise this right, the substitute must:

• hold all qualifications and licences required for the specific SHFT role
• have provided satisfactory evidence of their right to work in the United Kingdom to you
• be notified to the Business Client via the Platform before the SHFT commences

8.3 You accept responsibility for the professional conduct of any substitute you arrange during the SHFT.

8.4 The Business Client may decline a proposed substitute only on the grounds that the substitute does not hold a required qualification or licence for the specific role. The Business Client may not decline a substitute on grounds of any protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.

8.5 Any exercise of the substitution right is recorded on the Platform.

9. Payments

9.1 Your commercial rate for each SHFT is the rate agreed and confirmed at SHFT Confirmation. It is a commercial rate between two independent parties — you as a self-employed professional and the Business Client as your client for that SHFT.

9.2Payment is processed directly from the Business Client's connected Stripe account to your linked bank account via Stripe Connect within 7 days of both parties confirming the post-SHFT payment summary. FLEXSHFT does not hold or custody your earnings.

9.3 Post-SHFT payment confirmation. Once a SHFT is complete, the Platform calculates payment based on actual hours worked as recorded by the check-in and check-out system and presents a payment summary to both you and the Business Client. Both parties must actively confirm the summary before payment is processed. You have 7 days to confirm or raise a query. If the Business Client does not respond within 7 days, the hours you have recorded are deemed agreed and payment is processed on that basis.

9.4 Variable payment — the three scenarios:

• You leave early by your own choice: you are paid for actual hours worked at the agreed hourly rate. This is your own commercial decision.
• The Business Client asks you to leave early: the full contracted payment for the agreed hours remains due to you regardless of actual hours worked. The Business Client cannot reduce your payment by ending the engagement early.
• The Business Client asks you to stay longer: you have no obligation to accept. If you choose to stay, both parties confirm the extended hours via the Platform after the SHFT and your payment is adjusted upward accordingly at the agreed hourly rate.

9.5 You are solely responsible for all income tax, National Insurance, VAT, and any other fiscal obligations arising from your earnings on the Platform. Payments to you are gross commercial payments with no deductions.

10. Cancellations

10.1 You may cancel a confirmed SHFT at any time. No financial penalty applies to you for any cancellation.

10.2 Cancellations are recorded as factual attendance history in your Reliability Score — a transparency tool visible to Business Clients on the Platform. A cancellation within 48 hours of the SHFT start time is recorded as a late cancellation. The Reliability Score reflects factual historical data only and has no impact on your Match Fit ranking, eligibility for any SHFT, or access to the Platform.

10.3 Where a Business Client cancels a confirmed SHFT, you are entitled to commercial compensation as set out in the Per-SHFT Contract or, during the interim period, the FLEXSHFT Business Terms:

11. Qualifications and Credentials

11.1 Where a SHFT requires a specific qualification, licence, or certification — including without limitation an SIA licence, Personal Licence, food hygiene certificate, lifeguard certification, or any other regulatory credential — you must hold that credential, ensure it is valid and current at the date of the SHFT, and produce evidence of it to the Business Client before the SHFT commences on request.

11.2 You must not accept a SHFT requiring a credential you do not hold. Accepting a SHFT for a role requiring a licence you do not hold may expose you to civil, regulatory, or criminal liability.

11.3 FLEXSHFT accepts no liability for any regulatory sanction, civil penalty, or criminal liability arising from your performance of a licensable activity without the required authorisation.

12. FlexScore and Reliability Score

12.1Following each completed SHFT, the Business Client may submit a FlexScore rating. This is the Business Client's own voluntary assessment of your professional conduct on that specific SHFT. FLEXSHFT does not control, influence, or endorse ratings given by Business Clients.

12.2Your Reliability Score is a banded descriptor of your factual attendance history on the Platform over a rolling 12-month window. A minimum of 5 completed or attempted SHFTs is required before a band is displayed — below that threshold you show “Limited History.” The Reliability Score has no impact on your Match Fit ranking, eligibility for any SHFT, or access to the Platform.

12.3 FLEXSHFT does not use FlexScore ratings, Reliability Score bands, or any other platform data to rank, deprioritise, or algorithmically penalise Contractors. Match Fit is based solely on stated skills, availability, location, and SHFT history.

12.4 You may view your own FlexScore and Reliability Score in your account at any time as a record of your engagement history on the Platform.

13. FLEXSHFT Pro

13.1 FLEXSHFT Pro is an optional commercial subscription available at £10 per month. Pro subscribers receive SHFT notifications 15 minutes before standard Contractors across all SHFT types.

13.2 FLEXSHFT Pro has no impact on Match Fit ranking, FlexScore, Reliability Score, eligibility for any SHFT, or likelihood of selection by a Business Client. It is a timing convenience feature only.

13.3 Subscribing to FLEXSHFT Pro does not create any obligation on FLEXSHFT to guarantee access to any SHFT.

14. Platform Conduct

14.1 You must not use the Platform to: provide false or misleading information; circumvent the Platform by arranging commercial engagements with Business Clients outside the Platform within 6 months of your last SHFT or Platform interaction together; impersonate another person; upload content that is discriminatory, defamatory, abusive, or unlawful; or violate any applicable law or regulation.

14.2 You must not use the Platform or your engagement through it for any activity that constitutes bribery, corruption, money laundering, or tax evasion. You must not offer or accept any financial or other advantage in connection with your use of the Platform that would constitute an offence under the Bribery Act 2010 or the Criminal Finances Act 2017.

14.3 FLEXSHFT reserves the right to suspend or terminate your account for breach of these Terms, the Terms of Service, conduct creating legal or regulatory risk to the Platform, or suspected fraud.

15. Platform Availability

15.1The Platform is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. FLEXSHFT makes no warranty as to continuous, uninterrupted, or error-free availability.

15.2 FLEXSHFT may temporarily suspend access to the Platform for maintenance without notice where reasonably necessary and will use reasonable endeavours to minimise disruption.

16. Limitation of Liability

16.1 To the maximum extent permitted by law, FLEXSHFT is not liable for: any loss arising from acts or omissions of any Business Client; any loss of earnings arising from SHFT cancellation, account suspension, or Match Fit outcomes; any indirect, consequential, or punitive loss; or any platform unavailability.

16.2FLEXSHFT's total aggregate liability to you shall not exceed the greater of: (a) commission paid in connection with your SHFTs in the 6 months preceding the claim; or (b) £500.

16.3 Nothing excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, or any matter that cannot lawfully be excluded.

17. Indemnity

You shall indemnify and hold harmless FLEXSHFT Limited and its directors, officers, and employees against any claim, loss, liability, cost, or expense — including reasonable legal fees — arising from or connected with: your acts or omissions during any SHFT; your breach of these Terms or the Terms of Service; any third-party claim arising from your conduct on the Platform or at any venue; any regulatory or legal liability arising from your failure to hold required qualifications, licences, or right-to-work status; or any misrepresentation in your profile or registration information.

18. General

18.1 Entire agreement: these Terms together with the FLEXSHFT Terms of Service constitute the entire commercial agreement between you and FLEXSHFT.

18.2 Governing law: England and Wales. Exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

18.3 Severance: invalid provisions do not affect the remainder.

18.4 Changes: we will notify you of material changes at least 14 days before they take effect and ask you to accept the updated version.

Acceptance

By accepting these Terms at onboarding you confirm:

I confirm I am a genuinely self-employed independent professional operating my own business. I understand that self-employment means accepting commercial risk — including no income if I cannot work, liability for damage I cause, and responsibility for my own tax, insurance, and legal compliance. I accept these Self-Employed Contractor Terms as the basis of my commercial relationship with FLEXSHFT.

I understand that FLEXSHFT is a technology platform only and is not my employer, agent, or legal adviser. I am solely responsible for my own tax affairs, insurance, qualifications, and compliance with all applicable laws as a self-employed professional.