A tailored employment legal service for artists

This is the first in a series of blogs from our new Employment Consultant, Ayesha Casely-Hayford.

This is a shout out to local artists - you are not alone. Our employment consultant has a background in the arts.

There are as many ways of being employed as there are of making money. If you work in the creative arts industry, you will be very experienced of this fact!

Determining employment status and employment relations can be complicated but the importance of defining such relationships cannot be overstated.

Do you know your legal rights? It is the circumstance of your situation and not the ‘label’ given that determines whether or not you are an employee or self-employed or from an employer’s point of view, whether you are engaging independent contractors or employees.

Why does it matter? It matters because if you are an employee, you have special protection under UK law for example, a right to not be unfairly dismissed. If you are dismissed unfairly, you could be entitled to compensation. If you are an employer and aware that someone working for you has a disability (which, for the purposes of UK law is a wide definition including, for example dyslexia and dyspraxia) you have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments and ensure he or she is not at a substantial disadvantage in comparison to others without that disability. As an employer, you also may have responsibilities for the actions of your employees and could be held responsible for their behaviour towards third parties.

The situations you may be working in may change over time and, to put it politely,  the terms of your engagement may be hazy.

Contracts can be hell. All is well until the trouble starts and if you have not carefully drafted your documents, what began as a positive healthy relationship could soon become a worst nightmare. Consideration, negotiations, and understanding of intentions at the outset, are crucial to building the foundations of long-term working partnerships. This is true in any kind of situation be it working with friends or working with established organisations. Being able to open these kinds of conversations is easier said than done and being able to deal with the contractual situation when it has (or is going!) wrong, requires objectivity and experienced strategic confidence. We can help you with that!

Our consultant’s personal knowledge of the industry will shield from the dazzling lights, getting to the crux of the contractual relationships and help you understand your legal rights so you can work safely and with confidence. Employment rights, enshrined in our UK legislation have been long fought for by individuals, unions, and politicians. Don’t let your rights be disregarded. You owe that to the creative work you are doing and fundamentally, to yourself.

Our employment department can offer you a tailored service, because we understand your world. You and what you do is unique, we offer you a unique set of legal skills to match.