We are seeing more and more class action lawsuits brought against employers for misclassification, so now is a great time to make sure your employees are classified correctly.

Many people aren’t clear on what an employer of record is or how a client might partner with one to handle the responsibilities that come with being an employer. But knowing how an employer of record like OOTB works will help you understand how partnering with one can make your life easier.

With all the wrangling you do in production, it’s easy to feel like the paperwork for onboarding and paying new personnel is unimportant. You don’t have time to think about it, and it seems like it has nothing to do with your actual work. However, getting your employees onboarded and paid on time is extremely important for moral, practical, and legal reasons.

Covid-19 has made many of us reconsider the importance of workplace practices that protect our health and the health of everyone we work with. Employees should not come to work while sick. Staying at home allows them to take care of themselves and protect their coworkers. Sick leave makes it easier for employees to do this and is an important element of ensuring a healthy and happy on-set environment.

Today, we are digging a bit deeper with some more specific questions about working with minors. Many people turn to us for answers about the ins and outs of working with minors and we are more than happy to oblige. Understanding the minutiae of child labor laws takes focus and detail, but is all in service of safe and comfortable children.

Working with minors can be delightful, but it has to be done properly, not just because there are a great many laws that say so, but because these laws are designed to ensure that children in the workforce are safe and protected. There are a lot of rules and many of them have age-specific mandates.

Protecting yourself and your crew against COVID-19 is now an essential part of production considerations. And with the Delta variant on the rise and breakthrough cases cropping up, it’s more important than ever to stay up to date.

You can’t plan when accidents will happen, especially in the creative and chaotic environment of a photoshoot. So we in the industry need to be prepared at all times for injuries and illnesses to occur on set. One of the best ways to be prepared is by having proper workers’ compensation coverage.

There are two areas in this arena that are often misunderstood: meal breaks and overtime pay. These might not be sexy topics and the rules governing them can feel foreign and cumbersome in the context of on-set work culture, but staying compliant in these areas is incredibly important.

Many of you have received questions about classification and pushback from potential or current personnel. This is normal, and we understand! But while the application of AB5 is a relatively recent development, it is not optional, and there are some serious consequences that come with not paying your people in the correct way.

Employment law is complicated. Nothing better encapsulates this than the Borello test, a long series of questions that, depending on what business you’re in and assuming that you’re addressing a situation where the ABC test does not apply, determines whether a worker may be classified as an independent contractor.

Although it’s tempting to wish for a one-size-fits-all answer that magically determines whether a worker, or a group of workers, is classified as an employee or a contractor, it’s important to remember that all three parts of the ABC test must be considered when determining classification as each part must be satisfied to classify a worker as a contractor.

We know that many questions are coming up as vaccinations become more widely available and pandemic-related restrictions and guidelines continue to shift. The OOTB team has put together an article that collects information and resources to help support you as you consider your approach to vaccination policies.

At OOTB, we treat the stylists, assistants, tailors, and PAs who we payroll on behalf of our clients like members of our own team. We are honored to share some kind words from some of these folks!

Introducing a new series in which we answer some of our most commonly asked questions about all things payroll.

Although it can be a cumbersome process to fill out and manage onboarding paperwork (particularly when juggling the tight timelines of production!), doing it right benefits both the employer and the employee.