My posters:
Contracts in the media industry are different to contacts in other industries because the media industry is always changing so contracts need to be flexible to accommodate this.
One thing to consider when getting a contract in the media industry is whether it is Full Time or Part Time and whether this is permanent.
Working full time means you will most likely work around 39 hours a week, a permanent contract means you are a regular member of the crew, entitled to pensions, sick pay, maternity/paternity leave and holiday pay. These jobs are usually managerial, editorial, financial and sometime sales and marketing.
Part time means you work a fraction of a full time contract, you will still have a set number of hours a week. Like permanent full time workers you are entitled to the same benefits but on a reduced basis as you are working fewer hours. These jobs are typically financial and sales and marketing.
Fixed term and freelance contracts are temporary and only last for a certain amount of time, your contract will specify if you are entitled to any company benefits. Because freelance is where you are self employed you are responsible for arranging your own pension, holiday and sick pay. Freelance is common in the media industry as it allows people control over the things they do and make. Normally technical and creative jobs are fixed term or freelance.
Shift work is common in TV centres or radio stations where broadcasting takes place for an extended amount of time or 24 hours a day. A person is set to work a particular shift, for example 6 am to 2pm or 11pm to 6 am.
Office hours, traditionally Monday to Friday 9am till 5pm is a common contract for admin and office based jobs so financial, sales and marketing and other production office jobs usually work these hours.
Irregular and Anti Social Hours pay is like overtime as a person is paid extra money on top of their normal salary. It's very common in the industry as filming might run over because of unforeseen problems, filming on location might mean working very early in the morning or late in to the night; because of this workers are given more money for going above and beyond their normal contact duties.
Salaried jobs are where a set annual wage is broken down into monthly payments with the most likely jobs being managerial.
Being paid on completion is very common in the industry as people are commissioned to produce a piece a work, a contract will outline what you have been asked to do, the date it needs to be completed for and the agreed fee.
Written into some contracts are confidentiality and exclusivity clauses; a confidentiality contract means that you agree to not discuss or reveal any details of the project or production you are working on to people who are not involved with the project. An exclusivity contract is when 2 separate parties agree to work together for a certain period of time prohibiting any of the involved parties from working with anyone else during the contract duration, this refers to workers, content and rights.
Employment legislation is a set of laws and rights that employers and employees must follow in the workplace, the legislations are:
Health and safety and Employer's Liability: Employers are responsible for the health, safety and wellbeing of their employees, if a person is injured at work or are poorly from something related to working under the company and believe the employer is at fault they can seek compensation. The Employer's Liability Act insures a minimum level of insurance and is written into contracts. Employer's Liability insurance is compulsory unlike public liability insurance which covers employers for claims made against them by the public or other businesses.
Equal opportunities: Employers must try and provide equal opportunities for all potential and current employees, recruiting fairly and produce codes of practice that comply with the Equality Act 2010. The BBFC's website clearly states their code of practice and explains how no one is at a disadvantage and that they are committed to promote equal opportunities.
Employment Equality: This along with the Equality Act 2010 ensures that discrimination on the grounds of race, gender and age is illegal and should be considered by all staff, cast and crew. I wrote one example on my poster however another one is Countryfile presenter Miriam O'Reilly, who was awarded £150,000 after being fired by the BBC on the grounds of ageism and victimisation complaints.
Employee Rights: All employees are given equal rights such as - wages, holidays and holiday pay, sickness and time off, the right for training, terms and conditions, work rights (what they are entitled to in working hours) and trade unions.
Trade Union: Trade Unions exist to protect the rights and interests of workers and will often receive benefits by being a part of one. See the BECTU poster for information.
Copyright: Protects the physical expression of ideas, both published and unpublished works. The law grants the copyright holder rights to copy a work, issue copies to the public, perform, show or play it, make adaptations or translations.
Trademarks: help to establish a brand for the company and are used to claim exclusive properties to the company's products or services. TM = unregistered trademarks R = registered trademark.
Codes of Practice: Companies create guidelines that adhere to the Equality Act and ensure that people are being ethical avoiding racist, homophobic or sexist behaviour. Codes of practice are not legally binding but an agreement between employee and employer.
Policies and Procedures: are put into place to make sure that TV and film companies maintain ethical practice, these policies relate to business conduct, recruitment, employment and management.
Emerging Social Concerns and Expectations: see poster above.
Representation: This is very important in the industry as if it is not handled correctly the topic can cause split opinions and legal issues. The shows that a production company makes impacts on the company and producer's representation. Also TV shows that focus on social groups like My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding need to consider representation very carefully to avoid controversy and stereotyping.
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