Pay for rehearsal time?

HR inWA

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 06-26-03 AT 03:45PM (CST)[/font][p]We have a group of part-time performers who work for us 10-20 nights per year. They are paid as employees when they perform for us and as such are covered under our Washington on-the-job injury insurance, L&I. They have recently been asking if we can cover them with insurance for their rehearsal time which has led us to contemplate whether this rehearsal time should actually be compensable time. We want to do what's right and certainly don't want to see someone hurt themself without insurance coverage. It seems like the gym where they rehearse might have coverage??? I may need to consult my attorney on this but does anyone have any ideas to where I can go to find information on this subject - or have any of you ever dealt with something similar before?

I just re-read and my question isn't clear...
My question is: Should we be paying them for rehearsal time?

Sally

I work for a symphony orchestra and even our "part-time" (per service) musicians are paid for a scheduled rehearsal. Like our fulltime musicians, they are expected to come to the first rehearsal fully prepared--having looked at the music and rehearsed it at home. The time spent rehearsing at home is considered part of the work hours for our fulltime musicians, however the per service musicians are not compensated for that time--just for the scheduled rehearsals and performances. That is all handled under our collective bargaining agreement.
We have our own concert hall so scheduled rehearsals and performances are for the most part held here. It has been my understanding that even when we are rehearsing or performing outside of our hall all the musicians (and stage hands, for that matter) are covered under our workers comp insurance because they are on our payroll.
Hope this helps.

Don D

Reading these two posts reminds me that there is much more to the HR market arena than manufacturing, service, banking, education, government and construction industries. It's great to read posts like those to remind me that my world is only part of it. It also makes me want to go out and buy a ticket!
xclap

Sally

It also makes me
>want to go out and buy a ticket!
>xclap


Contributions to not-for-profits are always welcome too! Of course our hope is to get you hooked on the performances so you continue to buy tickets AND begin to make contributions....

Crout

Are the rehersals mandated by management? If so, you most certainly should be compensating those folks.

HR inWA

The rehearsals aren't mandated. We don't even decide who is in the group. The leader just shows up with his crew in tow each time and we put any new folks onto our payroll system. I'm wondering if they shouldn't be independent contractors - or perhaps working for the person who runs the show at the rehearsal gym and we pay him a flat fee. We are not the only company that this group performs for. We are one of many. BUT our concern is still that we don't want them to get hurt without any insurance coverage.

Crout

So this is an insurance question? I thought so from your original post, but your clarification indicated a wage question.

HR inWA

My main concern is that we pay them properly. Their main concern (which leads itself to being a main concern of mine) is that they have coverage if they injure themselves.

Crout

If you are enrolling these folks as employees, rather than independent contractors then they should be covered under Worker's Comp if they are injured on the job. I can't believe that you enroll people as they walk in the door. That's crazy. I think your idea of simply paying "the leader" as a contractor is excellent. He can then sub-contract out for his musicians.