# Labor & Actors - Pay or Volunteer



## cigsm (Oct 29, 2010)

Good afternoon fellow members-

I'm putting together a business plan to open a new haunt. WOW! Lots of work (but fulfilling and exciting). I have reached out to one of the Haunt Masters here who has told me to give him a call (wooo hooo). 

My question is, a lot of haunts either have volunteers, paid workers or a mix of both. 

How can you have volunteers for a for-profit business. If you give a portion of proceeds to charity, does that allow you to recruit volunteers? Do you have them do it as independent contractors? 

Just trying to get this together & wanted to know how YOU handle it. 

(hope this is in the right forum)


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

Welcome to the forum cigsm 

Hopefully some of our pro haunt people can get back to you with answers soon. Don't be discouraged if it takes a few days since everyone is very busy right now.


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## cigsm (Oct 29, 2010)

Thanks Hauntiholik! I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this forum! So informational. The past week I literally have started in each forum from the LAST page & worked my way to the front. I'm almost done reading the entire thing 

Trying to soak up as much info as necessary. I'm ready to dedicate 110% to this and make it succesful.


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## Rocky666 (Oct 15, 2010)

cigsm said:


> thanks hauntiholik! I loooooooooooooooooove this forum! So informational. *the past week i literally have started in each forum from the last page & worked my way to the front. I'm almost done reading the entire thing *
> 
> trying to soak up as much info as necessary. I'm ready to dedicate 110% to this and make it succesful.


a+


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## sickNtwisted (Sep 29, 2010)

Some pay, some don't but I think the better haunts pay and that's how I think it should be.


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## cigsm (Oct 29, 2010)

sickNtwisted said:


> Some pay, some don't but I think the better haunts pay and that's how I think it should be.


I just don't understand how they do that. Meaning, the law states if you're a for profit organization you must pay at least minimum wage to each employee, including paying for unemployment, taxes, social security, etc.

So the pro haunts that have volunteers, how do they get around that?


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## sickNtwisted (Sep 29, 2010)

From what I'm told they declare themselves a 501 c3, non-profit organization. Sometimes they do it through a shell company or something, not sure on the specifics. Also, there are haunts who do shady things and skirt the law. I've had haunts who tell employees they don't have to pay minimum wage because it seasonal work, which is bullsh*t.


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## dominic81 (Nov 3, 2010)

Interesting topic I hope this thread keeps going!!!


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## Creep Cringle (Jun 23, 2009)

I'm also interested in learning more about this!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Not a haunt comment, but a general minimum wage comment - seasonal workers are exempt from minimum wage laws in some states, and some states have no minimum wage laws, as shown in the link here:

http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm?cm_sp=ExternalLink-_-Federal-_-DOL

As with any business, if you are setting up a pro haunt, you would want to do a little research on your state's labor laws as far as payment of wages go.

An independent contractor (sometimes called a 1099 contractor) is often not protected under minimum wage laws. There is a good discussion of that topic here:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-1099-contractor.htm


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## sickNtwisted (Sep 29, 2010)

The haunt was in Arizona where minimum wage is $7.25 and they were trying to pay people only $4 something.

If you're a contractor get everything in writing and I mean EVERYTHING! Get it signed in blood if you can.


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## cigsm (Oct 29, 2010)

Thanks Roxy Blue! Youre a monster & a scholar 



RoxyBlue said:


> Not a haunt comment, but a general minimum wage comment - seasonal workers are exempt from minimum wage laws in some states, and some states have no minimum wage laws, as shown in the link here:
> 
> http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm?cm_sp=ExternalLink-_-Federal-_-DOL
> 
> ...


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

Definitely be careful with "1099" contractors as at any time if the IRS decides in their infinite wisdom that they are instead employees then you are on the hook for payment of collected income taxes(which as 1099 you have not collected on thier behalf as well as all the required company/employee contributions for social security/medicare)

And the lovely thing is they can go back up to 10 years to decide this..


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## cigsm (Oct 29, 2010)

So how do you guys all do it?

If you have volunteers how do you work it if you're a for profit biz?

If you don't have volunteers do you pay minimum wage or do you do Independent Contractors? If you do IC's how do you get around the "cant tell them what hours to work" thing?


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