Crazy rates of pay devaluing our industry?

[Jivemaster]

If after a multi year training course as performer of technician you cannot find minimum wage for someone in what is clearly IR35 EMPLOYMENT then probably a selling skill is missing somewhere. Sell the show for a better price! then there is money to cover all costs, proper pay and proper insurance.

 

I really doubt that any "self employed" person getting £50 a week a/ really is properly self employed and b/ really has libility insurance.

 

As a touring company you will constantly interface with the customer (the children in a TIE situation) You could even need enhanced criminal records checking for all staff. You certainly need valid and overall insurance to cover libility should a child get hurt.

 

Basically if a child trips (eg on a cable or a light stand ) then you are liable and if the parents even go to a free solicitor then you could have to sell your house to meet even a small compensation claim because there is NO LIMIT to the fee the "free " solicitor can add to the compensation as their fee, Think £50 for a stubbed toe and £5K for their legal fees, Think telling nice hubby that you need to move out and sell up to make some solicitor richer.

[tokm]

The latest culprits offering stupidly low money, but wanting real freelance crew :** laughs out loud **:

 

LX-Tricks ad on Stage Jobs Pro:

 

We are urgently looking for freelance lighting and sound engineers.

 

Duties to include.

Preperation of equipment

Rigging and Derigging

Driving Duties

Desk Operating on events.

Knowledge of using yamaha LS9, Avolite Desks, Zero 88 Desks, Strand Pallette desks. (not essential)

 

Must have UK Full Driving Licence.

◦Drivers must be over 21 years of age and held a full driving licence for 1 year.

 

Pay: £6.42 ph (so at most £77.04 for a 12 hour 'day')

 

Not suprised theyre despartely looking for crew.. Atleast theyre paying atleast miniumum wage :P . If theyre now needing crew because theyre busy, then surely that should mean theres money about to pay sensible rates.. I fully understand that its not always viable to pay 'full' rates, but it should always be something near to a, or on rare occasions a token ammount on a one off occasion to compensate a regular freelancer doing them a favour.

 

Hmm.. (TM Ynot) looking forward to seeing what response this post brings, IIRC, someone from this lot is on the BR.

 

T

[Smiffy]

Thanks for that. Made me laugh a lot. Needed that (sat at FOH waiting for doors - V. Bored - Piss Easy Corporate - At proper rates!)

 

Cheers

 

Smiffy

[Peter F]

I was always under the impression that part of being a freelancer was that you dictate your own rate to your client not the other way around.

 

This advert reads very much like a company requiring casual labour who will be paid an hourly rate. As such they should expect to pay tax and national insurance in the same way they would be required to for any other employee and also undertake the appropriate insurances and health and safety procedures, including but not limited to the supply of suitable PPE as required. That the temporary employee may undertake other jobs in a genuine self employed basis is irrelevant to their engagement for this company.

 

That is how I understand it.

 

Peter

[andy_s]

I do not want to comment either way about the specifics of this topic, but glad to hear Smiffy is enjoying himself!

 

However, many people are labouring under a misconception as regards the tax status of actors and stage management staff.

 

After a test case in the late eighties / early nineties (can't quite remember without looking it up) it was decided that actors and stage managers would be treated by the Inland Revenue (as it was then) as self-employed for tax purposes. So employers are not necessarily required to deduct PAYE tax at source, but staff need to submit a tax return as if they were self-employed, and pay tax accordingly. However, employers should be deducting class 1 NI contributions, and paying employers contribution. (at least that's my understanding of it)

 

therefore applying the usual criteria that define people as "sole traders / self employed" (dictating own rate, etc) in this instance is not necessarily appropriate.

 

Neither is the phrase "casual labour" quite right in this case, it is somewhat more complicated than that.

 

E2A I suppose it is worth mentioning that this was an Equity - led initiative to protect the status of their members.