It's Not Just Newspapers

For those that don't know, I work in radio. Got my first check this week under the new company compensation plan. Under this plan, we have to pay back ten percent of what we made last year, only we have to pay back ten percent of what we made over the last 12 months, in the ensuing 8, so the cuts are a little steeper than that. Also, when I make an appearance at some place for a live broadcast, I receive what is called a "talent fee" of 50 dollars an hour. This fee is separate from my regular rate of pay and is paid directly by the client.

They are taking ten percent of that money as well, which again, they don't pay me.

FML

When the president of our company was asked "if business turns around, will we get this money back?" He replied that their forecasts did not show a significant change in the next 12 months. When he was asked about after a year, he told us "we wont be giving you this money back".

He then went on vacation for two weeks.

I work for the only really viable radio company in my neck of the woods, so I don't have a lot of options. Not gonna lie, sucks though.

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

That's bullshit.

 

So you're paying money back, eh?

Look. I'm not one to encourage violence... but I'm getting there. At some point, someone's going to light a Molotov, and the working class is going to throw one hell of a 10-day riot.

 

Fuck that noise twice.

Any company who wants me to pay back salary, can come get it from me and they better be packin'.

 

Man, that truly sucks. How can they take money that they're not paying you? I guess you're "their" talent, but that's effed up.

 

DTGDTN!

(Before a wayward exec from the newspaper industry visits and gets any brilliant ideas.)

 

I can't envision how this is legal.

 

There has been discussion about the legality of it and they get around it a couple ways. First, they say we are not paying back (they say that...we are), it's just that the amount of our cut is based on last years earnings.

And as for the talent fees, we were told; "if it wasnt for us, you would get no talent fees, we provide the arena for your talent"

Of course, it can also be said that if it wasn't for my talent, there would be noting to sell...but I realize it's a chicken and egg argument.

 

For serious, see if you can talk to a lawyer about this.

You provided services to your employer last year. You were paid for those services, which you paid taxes on and they made tax reports based on. I would think something to do with taxes would be the thing you could hang them on somehow.

Not to mention that they're effectively asking you to pay them to work for them.

*twitch*twitch*twitch*

 

So the only way you can keep the money you made last year is if you quit?

 

Does your employment there ride on it? If it does, then you're not really "paying it back", it's just codified extortion by contract language.

 

I suppose, in essence...yeah