Internet minimum wages?

[Rcourt64]

There's no such fucking thing that I'm aware of?
But can anyone offer a link or more information on this please?

There's an argument involving the issue that cam hosts should be earning minimum wages of the state or country they reside in.
I'm disputing this, but can't find any sort of proof to back up what I'm saying.
Maybe somebody here already knows more about it, and might be able to link or show me some sort of proof that there's no such thing as Internet Minimum Wages?

Thanks
Rcourt64

[EmporerEJ]

Originally Posted by Rcourt64

There's no such fucking thing that I'm aware of?
But can anyone offer a link or more information on this please?

There's an argument involving the issue that cam hosts should be earning minimum wages of the state or country they reside in.
I'm disputing this, but can't find any sort of proof to back up what I'm saying.
Maybe somebody here already knows more about it, and might be able to link or show me some sort of proof that there's no such thing as Internet Minimum Wages?

Thanks
Rcourt64

Are they independent contractors, or employees?

[Forest]

holy crap the would be king of cams re appears

hows your empire doing these days?

[Rcourt64]

Originally Posted by EmporerEJ

Are they independent contractors, or employees?

Employees

Originally Posted by Forest

holy crap the would be king of cams re appears

hows your empire doing these days?

Its surviving, keeping my head above water.
But at least I'm still making money with the economy being so shitty, and people being more reluctant to perform.

Thanks 4 asking.

[DannyCox]

You have to pay employees the minimum wage as required by your state/country. It doesn't matter what they are doing as a job is a job.

Contractors are a different story, but even with that there is usually labour laws to follow.

[RawAlex]

For the most part cam operations operate either on the "contractor" model, the "piece work" model or on the "shopping mall space" model. Either a contractor is paid percentage for work done, paid per item completed, or they rent a space (like a shopping mall) and pay for services, such as equipment, processing, etc.

Now, I will say that in some third world countries, less than honest operators might try to pay the girls an hourly wage rather than a percentage if they think they can get the girls to do the work for that rate. It would certainly be true of countries where people make only on average a couple of hundred US dollars per month in real life, and paying them more than that might be enough to get them to cam 40 or 50 hours a week.

That being said, unless they are specifically employees assured an hourly / weekly / monthly wage, there is no "minimum wage" that applies.

There is no "internet minimum wage". The internet doesn't have a labor board.

[Toby]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

...unless they are specifically employees assured an hourly / weekly / monthly wage, there is no "minimum wage" that applies.

Whether or not they qualify as employees is determined by the criteria established by applicable labor law. In the US that criteria varies somewhat from state to state.

You can be a commission employee and still be subject to minimum wage, should earned commisions not be sufficient.

[EmporerEJ]

Originally Posted by EmporerEJ

Are they independent contractors, or employees?

Well, I can tell you how it would be in Pennsylvania....you would need to pay them the federal minimum wage, as well as all the other "add-ons" that go along with that.

Why would you have employees?
You need to restrucutre that.
Here, going with the "strip club" live performance model would be better.
They pay YOU a nominal fee to use your equipment, and then collect tips.

[RawAlex]

Originally Posted by Toby

Whether or not they qualify as employees is determined by the criteria established by applicable labor law. In the US that criteria varies somewhat from state to state.

You can be a commission employee and still be subject to minimum wage, should earned commisions not be sufficient.

That would only be if they are employees. If they are independant contractors just using your system, there is no real obligation. It might be different if they work in your facility and you give them a fixed work schedule, otherwise they are free to work when they want and where they want. I cannot imagine any state mandating a minimum wage for people who are not even on your payroll in any manner.

[Toby]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

...It might be different if they work in your facility and you give them a fixed work schedule...

Such as a web cam studio?

I think you'll find that most states in the US would define these studio cam workers as employees, not idependent contractors.

[Forest]

Originally Posted by Toby

Such as a web cam studio?

I think you'll find that most states in the US would define these studio cam workers as employees, not idependent contractors.

i ran studios in 4 states for years and ALL talent was paid a % of their earnings and treated as 1099 independent contractors just like a commission sales agent

[RawAlex]

Originally Posted by Toby

Such as a web cam studio?

I think you'll find that most states in the US would define these studio cam workers as employees, not idependent contractors.

I bet there are plenty of real estate agents right now that would love to make minimum wage for all the hours they sit in an office, independently working.

[Toby]

Originally Posted by Forest

i ran studios in 4 states for years and ALL talent was paid a % of their earnings and treated as 1099 independent contractors just like a commission sales agent

And that is just fine, so long as they're making at least the equivalent of the minimum hourly wage.

I worked retail commission sales for 15 years. If a salesperson didn't earn enough commission to make minimum wage then they were paid an hourly rate at the current minimum wage. That didn't happen often, and when it did the salesperson didn't stick around long.

My point being, the work requirements and conditions determine whether someone is an employee or not, as set by the applicable state labor law. If the workers are on site and have an assigned schedule, then in most states they would probably be considered employees if someone pushed the issue.

[Rcourt64]

Originally Posted by Toby

Such as a web cam studio?

I think you'll find that most states in the US would define these studio cam workers as employees, not idependent contractors.

Ya well ok, But that's kinda hard to do when performers only get paid by "show performed per minute", right?
There could be hours that they might sit around without a single customer.
I don't agree with paying employees (as the state might refer to them) for just showing they're pretty face online without producing money till they are taken private. I'd go broke.

[Toby]

Originally Posted by Rcourt64

Ya well ok, But that's kinda hard to do when performers only get paid by "show performed per minute", right?
There could be hours that they might sit around without a single customer.
I don't agree with paying employees (as the state might refer to them) for just showing they're pretty face online without producing money till they are taken private. I'd go broke.

Whether or not you like or agree with it isn't relevant. If you're requiring them to be on duty during a specified time period, and they're working from your studio, then they're almost certainly considered employees.

Minimum wage isn't the only issue involved here either. If they're employees then there's workers comp insurance, payroll taxes, and other employee/employer responsibilities too.

There are ways to get around it, one possibility was mentioned in an earlier post by RawAlex, but you'll want to run that by an attorney familiar with applicable local labor law.

[softball]

Originally Posted by Rcourt64

Ya well ok, But that's kinda hard to do when performers only get paid by "show performed per minute", right?
There could be hours that they might sit around without a single customer.
I don't agree with paying employees (as the state might refer to them) for just showing they're pretty face online without producing money till they are taken private. I'd go broke.

I thought you already were broke.

[TheEnforcer]

The way you set up the company would be key here I imagine. Make sure to clasify them as independent contractors and you shouldn't have a problem I would imagine.

[Toby]

Originally Posted by TheEnforcer

Make sure to clasify them as independent contractors...

The job requirements and conditions are what will classify them as either independent contractors or employees. What you have to do is set those requirements and conditions accordingly.

[Rcourt64]

Originally Posted by rhetorical

I thought you already were broke.

Yup that's how it goes,
One minute your on top rolling with the high life, and the next your back at the bottom without notice or shit.

But at least I'm not in jail yet like DD is. There cracking down here in Tampa, I've had my share of knocks at the door from authorities already concerning what I do.
Fuck 'em, they ain't got shit!


Thanks for the replies everyone. It all helped clear up the wages crap for me.

[softball]

Originally Posted by Rcourt64

Yup that's how it goes,
One minute your on top rolling with the high life, and the next your back at the bottom without notice or shit.

But at least I'm not in jail yet like DD is. There cracking down here in Tampa, I've had my share of knocks at the door from authorities already concerning what I do.
Fuck 'em, they ain't got shit!


Thanks for the replies everyone. It all helped clear up the wages crap for me.

I have never understood why anyone would be in a business that the cops would knock on your door for no real profit. I can understand if you are risking it for high dough. I have been there and won that horse race. But why would anyone do it for the monthlies on a Honda Civic? There are much better ways to make a living. In fact just about anything is a better way to make a living.

[Patrick]

You can go into an app an change it's default audio device though so music will continue to you play over your speakers while you have an audio chat via the headset - the PC will set the headset as the default audio device soon as you pair it, so you will need to either change it after you pair.