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UPDATE: ICM assures me that none of the support personnel will get screwed out of a week’s pay. “We have remedies which we’re communicating on a one-to-one basis so that our people aren’t financially affected by this, ” I was told just now. (No emails, because they go straight to websites like mine.) The agency wants it to be known that it’s not engaging in strike-timed “war profiteering”; rather, it says this is a company-wide payroll policy change that was originally planned for January but then moved up to November because of the WGA walkout. “We used to pay people a week in advance, and now we’ll be paying people a week in arrears which is the norm. It’s a shift in timing that makes more sense. Our goal is to protect our company and the people who make up the company.” Hmm. Meanwhile, I just heard ICM will have a security guard make sure no one stays past 7:30 pm and incurs overtime.
Previous: I’m told a major tenpercentery’s Human Resources dept — aw, to hell with that anonymity, it’s ICM — has informed all employees, including agents, that the company would be “withholding” a week of everyone’s pay. Assistants especially were in an uproar over this because “we get paid little enough as it is. 
Agents make enough money to deal with this, but most assistants live paycheck to paycheck.” On Wednesday, HR said this by way of a “Payroll Notification” explanation: ”On Friday, November 16th, all employees will receive a paycheck that reflects one week’s pay, as opposed to the usual two. This is not a salary reduction. It is simply a change in the timing of when we pay our employees. We had planned to implement this change to a more customary payroll schedule at the end of December, but with a potential strike on the horizon, implementing this payroll change immediately provides the agency with more financial flexibility. We know that, for some of you, this may cause some short-term financial challenges, and we wanted to give you as much notice as possible. ” So if the assistants answering ICM phones sound cranky today, you know the reason…
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Do these people not realize the holiday season is coming up? Do people not have to buy their kids Christmas gifts out there in L.A.?
A quick call to the California State Labor Board and the CA state Attorney General’ office will straighten this out for everyone affected as these sorts of arbitrary payroll changes are usually unlawful without 30-60 days notice to the affected employee.
this has ari gold written all over it….
I’m guessing: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/
The law isn’t well written on this: (taken from their website’s FAQ section)
“3. Q. I am currently paid biweekly (every two weeks). My employer wants to change the payroll period to semimonthly (twice a month) and pay on the 10th and 25th of the month. This change will cause a delay in the payment of my wages. Is this legal?
A. Yes, as long as the employer gives you prior notice of the change and meets the payday requirements of the law.”
Why not borrow a month’s pay from all their employees and get really financially flexible?
Christmas gifts? Christmas is a Christian holiday.
Hollywood isn’t run by people who believe in Christmas.
Silly Marcus
This is ICM. This is a new low. Honestly, what a bunch of schmucks.
So long as all of your wages have been paid based on the below scale, then there’s nothing that can be done… zoom to 201.5(3)(a)
CA Labor Codes 200-243
201.5. (a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions
apply:
(1) “An employee engaged in the production or broadcasting of
motion pictures” means an employee to whom both of the following
apply:
(A) The employee’s job duties relate to or support the production
or broadcasting of motion pictures or the facilities or equipment
used in the production or broadcasting of motion pictures.
(B) The employee is hired for a period of limited duration to
render services relating to or supporting a particular motion picture
production or broadcasting project, or is hired on the basis of one
or more daily or weekly calls.
[…]
(3) “Next regular payday” means the day designated by the
employer, pursuant to Section 204, for payment of wages earned during
the payroll period in which the termination occurs.
204. (a) All wages, other than those mentioned in Section 201, 202,
204.1, or 204.2, earned by any person in any employment are due and
payable twice during each calendar month, on days designated in
advance by the employer as the regular paydays. Labor performed
between the 1st and 15th days, inclusive, of any calendar month shall
be paid for between the 16th and the 26th day of the month during
which the labor was performed, and labor performed between the 16th
and the last day, inclusive, of any calendar month, shall be paid for
between the 1st and 10th day of the following month.
(http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=lab&group=00001-01000&file=200-243)
Sad Times,
Don’t be an ass. Most everyone celebrates the holidays with copious gift-giving. Your thinly veiled antisemitism is not very clever or logical.
Since this ‘timing change’ was supposedly already planned for December, does that mean they were always planning on taking a week’s pay from every employee?
Or is it possible that the November 16th check will be for only one week, but that on November 23rd employees will be getting their normal two-weeks’ pay? That would mean that a week of pay has merely been postponed, not recinded.
I’m glad I quit working at ICM in time to get my accrued vacation check.
This is such a bad idea when ICM in in big need of new blood and wants to try and hire new agents. So stupid. I wonder what their water bill on that stupid fountain is.
“Christmas gifts? Christmas is a Christian holiday. Hollywood isn’t run by people who believe in Christmas.”
Huh?
Obviously, you haven’t been to the Rite Aid on the corner of Western & Franklin: They’re already busting out the Christmas decorations!
We’re a solid front in the “War on Christmas” here in Los Angle-eez.
Q: Should I go to the WGA meeting tonight… or the Pogues? Please advise.
#
Sad Times,
Don’t be an ass. Most everyone celebrates the holidays with copious gift-giving. Your thinly veiled antisemitism is not very clever or logical.
Comment by Anonymous — November 1, 2007 @ 10:27 am
You know I actually meant it was run by money, with no religious affiliation at all. I didn’t mean it any other way.
I hope that it is clear that it was not intended as an anti Semitic remark.
BJS,
Go to the Pogues. Saw them last night. Fantastic.
I guess all the money they made on the package of Friends among other things doesn’t give them enough financial flexibility?
Thanks. I will. Saw the Pogues during the last run at the Wiltern. I have a feeling that tonight’s event at the Convention Center will make me mental… ‘coz I’m sick of all the posturing and PR moves on both sides.
BJS, I love me some Pogues, but the Pogues ain’t gonna affect your career for the next 20 years. Go to the meeting.
And by the way, is it just me or has ICM turned into Douche Central ever since they acquired Broder?
Hi Nikki,
Your coverage is amazing. Thank you.
Quick question to everyone: has anyone ever thought of forming a union for Agent and Producer’s Assistants?
I think this would be an excellent way to fight for better treatment in the work place and a decent wage. Sure, it might be harder to get that job – but the turnover would be less and it would force higher ups to treat people humanely and not take out their stress on these people who inhabit the low rung of the ladder.
And I know there are tons of people who are tired of the abuse, but still love movies and want to be a part of this industry.
Any thoughts?
Ps. Great site Nikki. Thanks for keeping us informed.
There has been talk about forming unions for assistants. The problem is that unless you are career assistant, most people don’t want to take the time and effort to form such things. The idea is to graduate from being an assistant to being an agent. Leading the charge to form a union would certainly hurt that individual’s effort to be promoted. Some of the studios, which do employ career assistants, do have unions.
sounds like a poorly written memo to me. it is one thing to say, hey, we are deducting a week’s pay, sorry…then to say, we are changing the payroll system, so on the 16th, your check will reflect only one week’s pay, but don’t even trip because on the 30th, you will be paid for that week in addition to your regular pay…go back to work, bitches!
Famine in Darfur. Thousands dead in India. Shootings in Baghdad and Iraq. Hundreds without homes in San Diego.
Meanwhile back in Hollywood, Studio Writers are worried about their residuals !!!!
Good times
Oh horrors! Audience participation members don’t get paid!!! Is Nikki on the story? Audience Participation pumps up productions throughout Hollywood, contributing to the ambience of late night, game, and talk shows.
Glorified extras, yet no pay.
Aren’t they entitled to all the benefits of writers?