NSR: Work is expensive!!! (a rant)

[neotrotsky]

So, I haven't been able to buy much new stuff for the scooter because I did the oh-so-smart thing by telling my boss that the reason I'm going back to school is to finally get on paper certifications for all the audio work I've been doing for years. That, and I'm also diving head first into new stuff that has come out since I've started, such as live session digital recording, MIDI configuration of lighting and sound systems and the like.

This was my first mistake: Telling them.

When you work at a theater, NEVER tell your boss that you are learning something that they can potentially use to overwhelm you with They hired me as the lighting engineer. But now, I get to be BOTH the lighting and sound engineer (with only a $2/hr raise. Fun.)

So, now our booking admin has been taking on clients with all sorts of obtuse and outlandish sound requirements that our 80+ year old venue can barely do. And, every time I look at them like they're on crack for telling the client we can do this, they say "Oh, you're the engineer! I'm sure you have some gizmo that will make it easy". And these days, with jobs that don't involve sign twirling or taco making hard to come by, I'm left with the puzzle of the week whatever it may be.

This is the root of why I don't have new stuff for the Rattler, or even why I couldn't rebuild the P200e proper: I keep having to buy new crap!!! Now, most of it can also be used for school and the University I work with is willing (sometimes) to reimburse me for gear needed for a show, but that also means they get to keep it. Either way, the heart attack of buying tools for the job is particularly intense for me. And, it seems to be a pattern that the employer leans on it's specialists to source the ger required on the job without as much as a nod from payroll or accounting on how it's going to be paid for. More and more companies are expecting employees to foot the costs of doing business FOR the company. Now, every worker needs tools and it's ridiculous to expect an employer to pay for it all. You are expected to have your own gear. But when it comes to specialized hardware that the venue doesn't have the capabilities for at the time, why am I stuck making it work for them on my dime?!?! I'm not good at spending money. This is why I ride a scooter!! It's fun, cheap and easy on the long term financial plan. But, when needs must...

So, I end my rant surrounded by boxes discarded from MIDI Controllers, DAW workstation software and interfaces that I did NOT need, but at the same time needed. I think my helmet is down below that crap somewhere.

And, the only bit of kit I will be able to get for the scooter are saddlebags. Saddlebags to carry all this crap around with me to work!



I even had to take the CAR to work yesterday.

/rant off

[AWinn6889]

I have to buy pens for my work all the time because my boss steals them, or eats them.. whatever she does, they disappear. Also paper. We run out of register tape all the time, and I usually get stuck at staples picking up the 12 pack of register tape and a ream of copy paper on my way to work.
So I guess I kind of feel your pain... -ish.

I suppose it helps for job security? Of course I hardly think you should have to pay to keep your job. Who knows. It's annoying, whatever the theory behind it is.

[neotrotsky]

I wouldn't mind if it were just office supplies, but after dropping $1,200 yesterday alone, it's getting scary Granted I'll get reimbursed for some of the interfaces and the EQ I had to buy, but the new computer I had to get to run the recording software was the biggest hurt.

I'll just be glad when this season is over so I can get a chance to breathe.

[skully93]

I have @ 160/mo worth of stuff that I get to expense, which is livable at my salary. they're fast with the reimbursements.

However, anything over $50 I'd just be like "here's a list of shit and the time I need it by. If I don't, we won't have it and I can't fulfill the promise."

Though I only dabble in theater, IT is much the same way. if you do it, they will just expect you to do it. So after a while I just say "I learned this. if you want me to use it, this is what it will cost you."

Why? the company won't pay for my certs, my education, the gas to get there, etc. so...it;s mine. it's my time to learn, and my desire to improve my skills that drives it.

The altruistic "I'll do it because I love it!" wore off after I hit 30. Now, does it give me cash? No? then screw it.

[SoCalScooter]

You can always try to deduct the non-reimbursed portion of your equipment and supplies purchases on your 1040...

http://taxguide.completetax.com/text/Q04_5000.asp

This article is a little old, but it's still good. Ask your tax preparer, or see if you can find it in Turbo Tax (or whatever program you use). It might be worth your time to look into it

[AWinn6889]

I wouldn't mind if it were just office supplies, but after dropping $1,200 yesterday alone, it's getting scary Granted I'll get reimbursed for some of the interfaces and the EQ I had to buy, but the new computer I had to get to run the recording software was the biggest hurt.

I'll just be glad when this season is over so I can get a chance to breathe.

When you're making about $700 a month, $50-75 for office supplies adds up. Just sayin'. I also handle all of the "marketing", organizing, events, and inventory for the store for "free" since the other girl who works here makes the same amount of money as I do. Yup, $9 an hour.

I second what Scully said, just because my bf does the same sort of thing (minus dabbling in sound and such). If they don't want to pay to have the proper equipment/software/whatever, then they will not be fulfilling promises to their clients. That's their problem, not yours.

[charlie55]

Employers have become like spoiled children: they never want to hear the word, "No".

I'm not familiar with the ins and outs of your profession, but your booking admin is sort of analagous to pea-brained sales/marketing staffers who promise the moon to prospective customers and then come squealing to the developers to "just make it happen, yesterday!". The way we handle this is to let them over-commit to their heart's content and then hit them over the head with manpower and resource data that proves we're too short-handed to accomodate them. Our basic philosophy is that "your failure to plan does not constitute an emergency on our part".

I know that it's hard to buck the system with the economy being in the shape it is, but people/organizations like this will keep using you and your resources for their own aggrandizement for as long as they can get away with it. Having to provide a basic toolset to perform your job is fine, but being expected to foot the bill for every new and shiny doo-dad is unacceptable.

[PeteH]

I'm going to be a bit contrarian here. Or curmudgeonly. Or something like that.

If I recall correctly, you recently wrote about buying a new helmet after buying the Rattler. Did the old one not fit anymore?

If it comes down to a choice of keeping my job by fronting the cash for later-reimburseable expenses vs. buying accessories for a Rattler, for crying out loud, I'm providing for my family and spending the dough at work.

Should an employer expect you to buy all the gear? No. Especially not capitalized vs. expensed equipment. Are you at risk of being replaced by an engineer who _will_ do that? I don't know your market.

And what the heck are you buying stuff for? Free advice: have the theater rent the audio gear for the gig. I do this quite often. Let them make the decision whether to invest in permanent ownership. Would I like to own my own pair of old B&Ks or Schoeps? Far more pricey than my scoot. Sure, but I can't justify it.

It just disturbs me deeply to read about the dead P200, then the crap neighborhood, then about the economic hardships of having to front the gear to keep the job while at the same time buying new scooter toys. If the scoot and all its accessories are too expensive after whatever job-related expenses you settle upon, you should be in a cheap car instead.

Here endeth my rant.

[charlie55]

.....If it comes down to a choice of keeping my job by fronting the cash for later-reimburseable expenses vs. buying accessories for a Rattler, for crying out loud, I'm providing for my family and spending the dough at work.....

Not picking a fight with you, Pete, but what ever happened to the concept of the company/employer paying for the stuff that puts the profits in their (already-stuffed) pockets?

My place announced that they're cancelling the company-provided plan for work-required mobile devices, and will now require that employees purchase their own phones (without reimbursement) and get their own plans, the cost of which will have to be expensed on a monthly basis. I turned in my device, gave them my home number and told them to call and leave a message. You want me on 24/7 standby, you pay for the phone and the plan. Friggin' thing doesn't do anything to improve my bottom line, so I'll be damned if I'll lay out the cash and then come begging for payment every 30 days.

We've come a long way baby, haven't we. Carnegie, Armour, and all the rest of their ilk must be laughing in their graves.

[TVB]

.....If it comes down to a choice of keeping my job by fronting the cash for later-reimburseable expenses vs. buying accessories for a Rattler, for crying out loud, I'm providing for my family and spending the dough at work.....

Not picking a fight with you, Pete, but what ever happened to the concept of the company/employer paying for the stuff that puts the profits in their (already-stuffed) pockets?

Note the word in bold.

[charlie55]

.....If it comes down to a choice of keeping my job by fronting the cash for later-reimburseable expenses vs. buying accessories for a Rattler, for crying out loud, I'm providing for my family and spending the dough at work.....

Not picking a fight with you, Pete, but what ever happened to the concept of the company/employer paying for the stuff that puts the profits in their (already-stuffed) pockets?

Note the word in bold.

All well and good, but, except in the case of an immediate crisis, why should I, or any other employee, have to lay out cash for an entity than can well afford to foot the bill to begin with. It's not as if the thing I'm being asked to finance is doing me any good. Hell, if its that important to the company, toss me the corporate credit card, or at least set up an account with vendors/suppliers.

This kind of stuff hits a raw nerve with me. When I first started working for my current employer, the company was small and privately-held. Back then, I'd think nothing of shelling out bucks for such things as a custom-made cabling because we were all struggling to make a go of it and individual efforts were sometimes necessary to make up for the fact that we were small, lean, and did not have the resources of larger companies. Also, these efforts were rewarded in terms of money, recognition, and genuine gratitude from a group of executives who were not afraid to pitch in and get their hands dirty. Well, we eventually made the whole venture a rollicking success, went public (a huge mistake), and were bought and sold by a series of M & A thieves, each of which was wealthier than the one that preceded them, and each of which has managed to nickle-and-dime us to death, while sucking up the profits and playing the "po' li'l me" game whenever it was time to show a little appreciation. Hence my bristling at the idea of extending short-term, zero-percent financing to my employers.

[PeteH]

I _do_ agree - in a perfect (albeit corporate) world, the associate shouldn't be carrying the float. I am fortunate enough to have a Corporate AMEX card for travel, but smaller expenses (i.e. places that don't accept AMEX) need to be handled by me. Up until a year or so, we had the option of pulling a cash advance if we so chose, but now our expense-reporting system does a direct deposit to my bank the same day I file the expense report, even a daily report if I'm on the road. I can live with that.

I realize that not everybody is in this situation, and truly I wanted to know what's stopping the OP from working out a sensible financing system with his theater. If their cash flow is so bad that they insist on the engineer buying the specialized gear up front (and reimbursing him after the ticket/venue revenue comes in), I'd do my best to find another place to work. But I've been around the audio block once or twice, and have never had any problem renting anything I've needed by the hour, day, week, or longer, including laptops rigged with the interfaces and software I needed. The theater (or house of worship in my case) eventually made the call as to whether they would invest in a set of the equipment, or whether they were willing to pay a little more for a series of rentals. And I got the church to be the renter, rather than myself. But that's just my situation.

[Keys]

Methinks thou dost protest too much. I've worked for the county here for 5 years with NO raise at all...even cost of living and have even experienced a 10% cut! This after taking over 20 applicable classes and being a training officer. The guys right out of the academy make the exact same amount per hour as I do.

I don't think I'd complain because I only received a $2.00 raise.

[neotrotsky]

Well, the idea of the venue paying for equipment is much like a builder paying construction workers for their tools. It's expected for specialists to have their own gear for alot of things. It's just the way it is. If I can't get results without the proper gear, there are TONS of guys and gals who can get what is needed and get it done. Also, I can't simply say "Nope, can't do it", because then we lose bookings, which means lost revenue. I only get work when we have shows. So, the more shows we can do, the more money everyone makes (except the administrative staff: They're on salary). If I went in with a list of demands of stuff they needed to buy for me, they would simply hire another person. There was QUITE the list of applicants I had to fight my way through.

As for "complaining" about the raise, I'm hardly doing that. I'm quite happy for it but with how competitive the job market is, it just shows that you have to scramble for even that. But, entertainment venues aren't like "regular" jobs, and much of our work is what would be almost independent contractor. There is advantages to this: I don't have to use "approved" software or hardware. I don't have to buy from only one supplier. I don't have to use exact parameter things or the like. I don't even have to keep an exact schedule if I get results and as long as I show up when the talent does. If it gets the show done, then it's good. It's that kind of freedom you will never find anywhere else where you punch a time clock. The downside is the cost since alot of the gear I have to buy new since this is a much bigger venue with it's own needs.

And with the competition and the economy, I have yet to find a venue that will spring for cellphone and laptop reimbursement much less covering purchase for other gear not generically office related.

[charlie55]

Ah, I see. As I said before, I wasn't familiar with what constitutes the normal and accepted practices in your profession. Sounds like it can be a real roller-coaster ride between boom and bust.

[Roose Hurro]

Ah, I see. As I said before, I wasn't familiar with what constitutes the normal and accepted practices in your profession. Sounds like it can be a real roller-coaster ride between boom and bust.

I've thought about going into auto-repair, but then, I'd have to spend all my money for tools and toolbox. Which can mean thousands out of my pocket, just to get established. That's if they even bother to hire me, due to my lack of tools. In some professions, that's just how it works.

[SoCalScooter]

But, entertainment venues aren't like "regular" jobs, and much of our work is what would be almost independent contractor. There is advantages to this: I don't have to use "approved" software or hardware. I don't have to buy from only one supplier. I don't have to use exact parameter things or the like. I don't even have to keep an exact schedule if I get results and as long as I show up when the talent does. If it gets the show done, then it's good. It's that kind of freedom you will never find anywhere else where you punch a time clock. The downside is the cost since alot of the gear I have to buy new since this is a much bigger venue with it's own needs.

And with the competition and the economy, I have yet to find a venue that will spring for cellphone and laptop reimbursement much less covering purchase for other gear not generically office related.

Well, from how you describe it, it does sound like you are an independent contractor... Per the IRS definition - "The general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if the payer has the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not what will be done and how it will be done. The earnings of a person who is working as an independent contractor are subject to Self-Employment Tax. If you are an independent contractor, you are self-employed."

Do you receive a W-2 at the end of the year from the production company? If the answer is yes, and you don't receive benefits like health/dental/life/401(k), then you might be better off renegotiating your salary as a contractor, and then expensing all your expenses on Schedule C of your 1040.

The company will like it, since you'll cost them less in payroll taxes and unemployment; you might get them to split the difference and pay you more $. Of course, you're on the hook entirely for FICA/Medicare, as well as Fed/State withholding... but you can pay that quarterly to reduce your year-end tax burden. If you buy enough gear (maybe depreciate your scooter!) it might be possible to reduce most of your taxable income

If they are providing you with insurance/401(k), etc, then at this point you might be better off staying on as an employee. If that's the case, refer to my earlier post about deducting your non-reimbursed employee expenses.

[neotrotsky]

But, entertainment venues aren't like "regular" jobs, and much of our work is what would be almost independent contractor. There is advantages to this: I don't have to use "approved" software or hardware. I don't have to buy from only one supplier. I don't have to use exact parameter things or the like. I don't even have to keep an exact schedule if I get results and as long as I show up when the talent does. If it gets the show done, then it's good. It's that kind of freedom you will never find anywhere else where you punch a time clock. The downside is the cost since alot of the gear I have to buy new since this is a much bigger venue with it's own needs.

And with the competition and the economy, I have yet to find a venue that will spring for cellphone and laptop reimbursement much less covering purchase for other gear not generically office related.

Well, from how you describe it, it does sound like you are an independent contractor... Per the IRS definition - "The general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if the payer has the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not what will be done and how it will be done. The earnings of a person who is working as an independent contractor are subject to Self-Employment Tax. If you are an independent contractor, you are self-employed."

Do you receive a W-2 at the end of the year from the production company? If the answer is yes, and you don't receive benefits like health/dental/life/401(k), then you might be better off renegotiating your salary as a contractor, and then expensing all your expenses on Schedule C of your 1040.

The company will like it, since you'll cost them less in payroll taxes and unemployment; you might get them to split the difference and pay you more $. Of course, you're on the hook entirely for FICA/Medicare, as well as Fed/State withholding... but you can pay that quarterly to reduce your year-end tax burden.

If they are providing you with insurance/401(k), etc, then at this point you might be better off staying on as an employee.

One problem: Yes, I do not get benefits but I work for a state educational facility. There is *no* negotiation. And, Arizona is a right to (not) work state, which means that any resistance involving unions and I can and will get canned. Catch-22.

But, the reason I am staying here for the moments is because this will make my resume look FAR better when I finish my degree and look to going to a better market like Chicago (since my wife is originally from there). There, the rules change. There actually are a few rights for workers left

[rsrider]

The american workplace has become abusive to it's workers, and the expectations by management have become increasingly insulting. In Europe, the nation would go on strike. In america, the workers just go on the internet and whine about it. a stand must be made and action must be taken. I will not work outside my job description, ever. I don't buy anything for my job except something that will make it easier for me. If I didn't have a pen, I would write anything until someone from purchasing got me a pen. Stand up against this nonsense, or you will be steamrolled. Don't let fear guide your choices.

[neotrotsky]

The american workplace has become abusive to it's workers, and the expectations by management have become increasingly insulting. In Europe, the nation would go on strike. In america, the workers just go on the internet and whine about it. a stand must be made and action must be taken. I will not work outside my job description, ever. I don't buy anything for my job except something that will make it easier for me. If I didn't have a pen, I would write anything until someone from purchasing got me a pen. Stand up against this nonsense, or you will be steamrolled. Don't let fear guide your choices.

And I am homeless if I do that.

The funny part is that the theater industry has ALWAYS been this way. This just isn't some abuse of the workers. It's something everyone in the arts has known when they get involved in a venue. The only job security you have is no security. And, unlike most other jobs where you work x-amount of hrs you get y-amount of pay, we only get more pay the more bookings we get, and then by the more tickets we sell. If most Americans worked in the way I am used to working, they would be making less than minimum wage because they wouldn't bother to actually try to be good at their job. It's one of those fields where only the strong survive.

The rant was more aimed at the insane audio industry penchant of always finding new ways to make your gear obsolete, which is relative. But I don't have to buy the "newest and greatest" gear. Oh no! If you're good enough 75% of the stuff out there is fluff and farkle. It's when the client *thinks* they want it and demand it for a gig. THAT is the part that makes me complain about the insane cost of doing business in the entertainment industry. Bad singers think that auto-tune makes them better singers. Every band, choir, church and theater troupe thinks that in order to record their session, they MUST use Pro-Tools on $3,500 MacBook Pros that they can see the Apple glowing from stage. Granted I avoid caving to alot of that, some of it is needed as the cost of staying relevant against other venues who have the trendy bits.

But, staging a mass protest while someone undercuts me for even less and losing out on everything? There's principles and then there's working while changing the principles. Sometimes, a rant is just a rant.

At least I have not given up and sold my soul to a corporate entity to make money only for some megacorps like most others. I know where our money goes. I know artists are getting paid, and I know how the University doesn't pay us much mind because we don't make as much as other programs for them. That's cool. We all here could use just a bit more gear for not alot of cash out of our pockets

[Tom]

I was a tax preparer for a few years, and can tell you that if you are NOT getting a 1099 currently (and instead getting a W-2), you would not want to change that just to be able to write these items off. What you'll have to shell out in Self Employment tax (social security for those who are self employed) is going to cost you WAY more than the savings. Also equipment like you are describing can't be written off on a Schedule C, but needs to be depreciated over time because it isn't like buying paper or something, where you use it and it's done with.

I would definitely stay on the employed side if you have a choice in the matter, unless becoming a contractor comes with a significant jump in pay.