LEGAL ADVICE- MINIMUM WAGE

[Angel Blue]

Hi All,

Different Question but would be grateful for some advice from Legal experts.......

I am organising a very low budget production and need dancers.
It is not a charity but the dancers are happy work for free (with token travel expenses covered) as it is a beneficial project.
I have however been told that to protect myself from any issues that may arise in future, it is advisable to pay minimum wage.

This will be difficult to do as most of the budget is actually going towards filming & producing the material.
Anyway I'm currently trying to work out what the costs will amount to if wages had to be paid and I would like advice on
1) whether rehearsal time has to be included in working out the wage cost?
2) If there are other agreements that could be reached with the dancers to ensure that I dont run into trouble with the law?

Many thanks
AB

 

[Crackle]

?

 

[ianrauk]

Strange first post for a cycling forum

 

[longers]

Strange first post for a cycling forum

+1

but

 

[bonj2]

simoncc?
bimbly?

 

[longers]

simoncc?
bimbly?

Shergar?

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Call them all apprentices and pay them as little as you like..... it's what my first boss did.

 

[Aperitif]

Buy clippety cloppety shoes and have your dancers on tap when you need them...

 

[rich p]

Buy clippety cloppety shoes and have your dancers on tap when you need them...

Can your puns sink any lower? He's only trying to plug his troupe.

 

[tdr1nka]

I belive that if you were to pay minimum wage you would be expected to be paying Equity Union rates, this would also include rehearsals.

The alternative would be to get your dancers to sign a waiver saying that they are happy to offer their services for expenses only and it would then be a courtesy to offer your dancers a point percentage of any profit made from the production.

 

[Ranger]

If they are volunteers it is fine, you are still allowed to pay them 'reasonable expenses' such as travel, food, child care etc without actually giving them a wage

 

[dellzeqq]

I'd be concerned about industrial accidents. You're not going to get an answer here, for free. Consult Mike Brooks at Lee and Thompson. £500 an hour, but well worth it.

 

[bonj2]

£500 an hour, but well worth it.

cheaper to pay the workers the minimum wage.