Forget BBC1’s The Traitors, it’s Saboteurs who IT job board users must banish

Three key behaviours from blasé IT freelancers are already harming the prospects of ‘Faithful’ technology job-hopefuls in 2026.

All eyes in 2026 might still be on The Traitors, the hit BBC show pitching the “Faithful” against the well, not so “Faithful.”

But there’s another group of individuals with an unenviable label that deserves the attention of Free-Work readers  - Saboteurs.

Saboteur freelancers vs. Faithful freelancers

Before I introduce you to this equally dangerous contingent and explain why technology job board users must, as seen on the BBC programme, detect and banish these undesirables, an important caveat.

There are many, many, brilliant freelancers out there operating today, in IT and other key industries of the UK economy.

The overwhelming majority of freelancers with IT and other expertise provide UK organisations, including taxpayer-funded bodies, with unparalleled flexibility, internally unavailable or niche skills, thereby ensuring important projects and, in turn, organisations run smoothly.

But here’s the rub. The number of bad freelancers - the saboteurs -  going forward for technology, IT, computing and digital jobs is on the rise, writes Matt Colligwood, managing director of VIQU IT.

Could your freelancer conduct tank a project in 2026?

And I don’t just mean there was one rogue technology freelancer in the fourth quarter of 2025, and now there are two. What I mean is that our technology staffing agency is witnessing a weekly  upturn in the number of IT contractors demonstrating the kind of behaviour that can:

• tank a tech project,

• frustrate the end-client (even potentially deter them from future freelance hires), and

• leave recruitment agencies like mine scrambling.

How common are saboteur freelancers?

Just to further put these saboteur freelancers - who tarnish freelancing’s good name  - in context.

Not long ago, having a problem with an independent worker like a freelancer or contractor was a rare thing. Again, here and onward, I’m speaking specifically about IT.

But since at least Q4 2024, and maybe even before that, barely a week goes by without me hearing about some form of saboteur behaviour by a freelancer. And worse than just hearing or witnessing it, sometimes our technology jobs agency is on the receiving end, too.

Here are three ways that the saboteur freelancer is tarnishing the work, reputation and prospects of faithful freelancers:

1. Cheating in IT job interviews/technical tests

As 2026 gets underway, the end-clients (those who IT temps and tech freelancers ultimately work on behalf of) are conducting real ‘due diligence.’ This ‘due diligence’ is carried out before they hire freelancers, via agencies or via direct-to-client internet job applications.

Typically, the freelancer job-hopeful must first complete a piece of work or an assessment online. It’s often called a ‘technical test’ if the vacancy is IT-related.

When a 100% test score just doesn’t stack up…

Either way, test, assessment or work exercise complete, the client will then review it.

Simple enough.

Well, no, actually, because increasingly we’re seeing freelancers try to shortcut the process.

And this bypassing of the client’s ‘due diligence’ rarely ends well.

Just yesterday (Thursday January 8th 2026), one of my tech staffing agents pulled me aside for advice. One freelancer on our books had scored a perfect 100% on the pre-hiring technical assessment.

At first glance, this impressive score looked incredible. But the client, being technical themselves, was suspicious. The client told us:

There’s no way someone could achieve 100% on the technical test we set.

The freelancer in question was honest with us when we quizzed them.

The freelancer confessed to using AI to complete the assessment.

But the end-client retorted, “We wanted to assess their skills, not AI’s.”

Another caveat.

AI is an amazing tool.

But if a client explicitly asks for an unaided technical assessment, using AI or any other tool, it’s cheating.

Forget ChatGPT

Even if the client doesn’t explicitly forbid AI on the instructions, during any hiring process, it’s clearly you - the human candidate - that they want to scrutinise, not a piece of technology.

The other truism we’re noticing, again and again? Freelancers utilising Artificial Intelligence are always outed eventually, whether in the hiring process or after the contract has started. Calling on ChatGPT to answer questions intended for you, and your human brain alone, just wastes everyone’s time.

2. Disregarding contracts and terms

Most of the IT freelancers we introduce to clients are secured through a signed contract agreement.

The agreement protects everyone in the supply chain and makes clear the durations and expectations.

And yet, some freelancers still breach these terms.

The most common breach occurs in the shape of the freelancer simply leaving the assignment early.

Most of our contracts, and many other agreements that you’ll be asked to sign to undertake a temporary, agency role, include a notice period. It’s usually four weeks.

But more and more, freelancers say they want to leave an assignment early. Some freelancers even demand that this notice period be significantly cut.

Leaving your technology hirer ‘high and dry’ isn’t a good look for 2026

Aside from a breach of contract, the problem is obvious. When a freelancer walks away, they leave the client high and dry.

From our perspective, we always prefer to work with freelancers who consistently see projects through to completion. Those are the freelancers we continue to work with and who we’ll continue to source assignments for.

Here’s a recent example of a freelancer self-sabotaging their terms and notice period.

A web developer had a four-week notice period, but, in pursuit of a higher-paying gig elsewhere, they gave only 10 days’ notice.

On day 10, they just upped and left.

This freelance web developer started working for the new client without any concern for the old client.

But it didn’t pay off.

Clients are clubbing together against saboteur freelancers

Eight weeks after they gave their own notice period of 10 just days, the web developer was shocked to see their old manager turn up at the new client’s premises!

Sympathetic to the fellow client being left in the lurch, the new client terminated the freelance web developer’s services.

In short, the sour taste left behind at the old client followed them straight to the new client.

Our recommendation in 2026 to avoid being outed as a saboteur freelancer at your new shiny workplace?

Always, always, ALWAYS consider the impact of not honouring the terms of a contract. The short-term gain of jumping early rarely outweighs the adverse long-term consequences.

3. Working polygamously 

Polygamous working is when a freelancer takes on two roles or assignments at the same time, claiming they’ll be in both places at once.

It sounds clever, and we’re all for freelancers having multiple clients, but polygamous working can quickly cross the line into fraud.

Our IT staffing agency is seeing more and more cases where clients are pursuing freelancers for claiming hours they simply didn’t work. The authorities are reportedly cracking down on polygamous working, too.

As mentioned, due to IR35 and other considerations, freelancers in IT and other sectors should absolutely have multiple clients.

In other words, no freelancer should put all their ‘eggs’ in one commercial ‘basket.’ Working with more than a single client can maximise earnings, broaden experience and provide more outcome-centred case studies for a CV.

What’s the problem with freelancers and polygamous working?

The problem comes when a freelancer commits to being available for two clients simultaneously and then submits timesheets or invoices claiming work for both, but, in-person, was undertaking only one of the roles.

Polygamous working is particularly common when roles are offered remotely or on a hybrid basis. These self-sabotaging freelancers believe that being out of the office makes it easier to manage two clients at once.

But two remote roles at once also increases the risk of being caught.

The effects of polygamous working threaten to show up more in 2026

Unfortunately for bonafide, remote contractors who work faithfully, cases of polygamous working are partly why clients are becoming more cautious about offering remote or flexible work arrangements.

Clients are increasingly asking freelancers to come into the office for a few set days a week, or they’re monitoring their remote freelancers’ output more closely. The aim? To ensure the contractor is actually delivering the services they are being paid for!

Our recommendation? If you sign a contract promising to be available for one client, you need to stick to that contractual commitment.

Saboteur freelancers harm the wider freelance IT workforce

For the best freelancers, reputation is everything. There is no bigger measure of success than a client calling you back for more work or even referring you to other organisations in their network!

It still, therefore, surprises me that a few freelancers have a blasé attitude, thinking they can burn bridges, sabotage their careers, fail to deliver without consequence, and ultimately, make things tougher for the wider freelance technology workforce.

In 2026 and beyond, these freelancers are the saboteurs — the ones who make life harder for the good freelancers out there.

As stated at the very top, these freelancers aren’t a million miles from “Traitors.”

Not the celebrity-type who attract millions of viewers a night on BBC One to murder the “Faithful,” but the independent, shady freelancers, killing the good name of freelancing and the reputations of diligent contractors nationwide.

Here’s how faithful IT freelancers can do their bit to banish the saboteurs…

Build a ‘brag folder.’

A brag folder is a collection of complimentary references, positive emails, and other glowing testimonials of the great work you’ve done as a technology freelancer.

When you pitch for a new assignment or attend an interview for an IT role you successfully applied for online, bring along the brag folder. Then, instead of just claiming you’re ‘good’ at Java, Python, Cybersecurity, or whatever other tech skill you excel in, you can now prove it.

TLDR: Forget BBC1’s The Traitors, it’s Saboteurs who IT job board must banish

Given that we’re in an era of “Traitors” and ‘Saboteurs,’ an up-to-date brag folder also shows you’re playing as a “Faithful.”

Put another way, a brag folder not only demonstrates your credibility as a contract IT professional, but it also distinguishes you from the undesirables, removing you from any suspicion and making it easier for clients to trust you.

Those, anyway, are the IT freelancers that we technology staff recruiters will prioritise being ‘faithful’ to in 2026.