Hired Volunteers?

[RJ Productions]

We started with volunteers, went to a paid staff, and then returned to volunteers! We have had a better and more dedicated crew as volunteers than we ever did as a paid staff! Volunteers are not there "just for the dollar" but for the love of it.

We take a lot of steps to provide incentive for our volunteers. We do several cast parties; one closing night, one right after the attraction returns to storage, then at regular intervals. They are cool places like a GameWorks, a go-kart place, etc. We do T-shirts and other give-aways. During the run we do pizza or other food and drink. We never do it on a set day. If you always do pizza on Friday night you get kids that only show up on Fridays! We do spontaneous things like take the tear down crew out to a buffet and the premier of a new horror movie.

If you do things in a non-scheduled non-expected format it is appreciated more. It is also more useful as an incentive. “Gee you should have been here Wednesday; they brought in Arby’s for everyone!!!”
Look for unusual incentives. Rocky Point closes this year. We are taking crew members up for the Scream Break. Everyone with perfect attendance gets all expenses paid!! Free transportation, room and entry to the haunt!!

We make it FUN to be at the haunt! They can be home watching TV so we make sure they are appreciated. Just making sure to go around and thank people goes along way. Our Haunt is very “Actor Oriented”, it is designed that way. We try and give actors multiple scares. If an actor is stuck in one stagnant position and only get one repetitious scare, maybe it would be better to put an animation there!

No one system works for everyone. Some use paid staff and are extremely happy. We tried both and a volunteer staff works for us.

[Jack_Skellington]

When I lived in Denver I volunteered at the Reinke Brothers Haunted Mansion. They did some cool stuff on down time like hide something in the haunt and who ever found it got a prize at the end of the night. And they hide it good it would take days to find it OMG. So I am a believer that Voluteers can work.

Dennis

[Mr. Haunt]

What a story

It takes a lot of good will to pull off a haunt and not pay your crew. I agree that if we could all find a crew like that we would be in haunt paradise. It's a shame there is an age limit for TW. I know some things sold there are graphic, but if the have a spouce that agree's to let there underaged child to go, it should be OK. Its not like TW is X-RATED. Haunting for most of the pro's come from the heart. It's somthing that you all love to do, and I think it takes the love from your crew, no matter the age, to be one of the best haunts. We all know that there are children in horror movies!!!! So I do not agree with the age restriction at TW. Maybe I could see it if the kids were under 14 or 15.

[Duke of Darkness]

Be aware that there may be some legal implications to taking people who are volunteers and making them employees at the end of the season. Overtime requirements, social security and income tax withholding, W2/1099 forms, and more. If someone gets injured during the season, are they entitled to workers compensation? Do you have to pay the insurance?

In my opinion you are much better off starting with actors as either employees or volunteers. If you have a great financial season, give your actors a stipend to help cover their expenses like fuel, makeup, etc.

I can't really give you detailed legal advice on how to handle the situation since it varies from state to state (and I can't give legal advice in an online forum anyway), bit I would highly advise you to research this carefully before making any decisions.

Dave

[RJ Productions]

I agree Dave, you may open a whole "can of worms" by "converting" a person to an employee. I would say stay with a volunteer staff. If you have people that made an outstanding contribution to your event and you do make some money there is nothing wrong with giving that volunteer a "gift". You are thanking them for going above and beyond what the volunteer is asked to do and you appreciate the help!

But as several have said it is always best to check out your own local situation. Just because something works is Ohio doesn't mean you can do it California!

[Kevin Dells]

reply

Well heres a thought i am going to throw out to the wind and see how you guys respond. At first i thought the idea was absolutley insane until i approached our crew with it and they agreed because of all the legality's they have seen us go through due to a few younger actors that tried to demand payment for the whole season and they really only worked a few days.

The labor board was called on us twice and both times we had to hire a lawyer to sort it out,in the end we were correct and they got Nada but we paid for the lawyer fees anyhow.

The plan!

Each season a ten dollar fee is collected for each actor if they want to work for the haunt.

For that ten dollars we would bring in or do a lot on our own seminars.

Teach them characterization and make up skills so it would be considered a school,therefore we wouldn't owe them anything but would reimburse them their ten dollars at seasons end. As part of the schooling working their charcater at the haunt would be part of the schooling as well.

Therefore their paying you to work at your haunt and being considered a school or a class that they want to attend would totally nulify any employment obligations what so ever.

They are taking home very valuable knowledge that in almost all cases would otherwise cost them a fortune to attend at an actual make up school such as Tom Savini's. Is it going to be the same quality,no but hey were only charging ten bucks. Toms charging thousands!

And of course we have insurance, who would be crazy enough not to!