RTE Radio why are some djs staff and others freelance ?

Tim Reilly

Maxi was staff but Ronan Collins is freelance..John Creedon is freelance but Alf McCarthy is staff. They all do the same job so why the different treatment ?

ford fiesta

happens in lots of workplaces

PeterTheEighth

Tim Reilly wrote: »

Maxi was staff but Ronan Collins is freelance..John Creedon is freelance but Alf McCarthy is staff. They all do the same job so why the different treatment ?

Some of them work as private contractors for tax reasons. It's the best of both worlds, they pay less tax and because it's RTE you never have a chance to get fired (like a normal contractor)

Losty Dublin

Tim Reilly wrote: »

Maxi was staff but Ronan Collins is freelance..John Creedon is freelance but Alf McCarthy is staff. They all do the same job so why the different treatment ?

In general RTE are tied to paying staff according to specified pay scales unlike independent broadcastors . If RTE want to pay on air presenters a salary in excess of these pay scales they opt to hire the staff on a freelance basis and to "contract" in their services without breaking agreed pay scales.

In some instances staff are beyond OAP retirement age; freelancing allows them to stay on air. Notably they did this with Brendan Balfe. In other cases there simply isn't enough work to justify a contract, permanent or otherwise.

serfboard

PeterTheEighth wrote: »

because it's RTE you never have a chance to get fired (like a normal contractor)

That doesn't just apply to RTE - there are plenty of people in various differing industries who are contracting for years.

However, what actually happens in other industries is that Revenue come along and say this person is effectively an employee, so you should be taking PAYE off them.

Some of the rules for being effectively an employee are:

1. You earn the vast majority/all of your income from one "employer".
2. You use the "employers" equipment.
3. You are under the direction of the "employer".

There are others but I can't remember them now. But, in order for this to happen, Revenue would have to make that inspection. Now I wonder will they? :rolleyes:

Trick of the Tail

That's very true, and I've heard of at least two cases in the independent sector where presenters were hired as contractors, but Revenue ruled that they were in fact de facto employees.

One station was fined for not collecting deductions from one of these employees.

But it does seem strange that RTE seem to get away with it.

Losty Dublin

Trick of the Tail wrote: »

That's very true, and I've heard of at least two cases in the independent sector where presenters were hired as contractors, but Revenue ruled that they were in fact de facto employees.

One station was fined for not collecting deductions from one of these employees.

But it does seem strange that RTE seem to get away with it.

I recall a case like this involving a radio station a number of years ago. In their case they were at the far end of taking the piss; dictating hours when required and additional duties, hourly pay rates which were rarely honoured, issuing job titles and promotions and additional duties without issuing new T+C's, regularly changing, start and finish times, mandatory PR duties etc. The station wanted the staff working full time only without the obligations of their being bona fide employers.

jimceart

Yep should really be a level playing field.