Entertainment and modelling agencies

Entertainment and modelling agencies: cooling-off periods

Guide

Cooling-off periods when charging fees are as follows:

Actor, background artist, dancer, extra, musician, singer, or other performer

You cannot charge a fee for 30 days from the date you enter into a contract with an actor, background artist, dancer, extra, musician, singer, or other performer for including information about them in a publication or website (including promoting a photographic image or audio or video recording of them). In that 30-day period, they can cancel or withdraw from the contract without penalty and do not have to make any payment under the contract.

If you intend to charge an actor, background artist, dancer, extra, musician, singer, or other performer for including information about them in a publication or website you have to show them the information before it's published and inform them that they have seven days to object.

Note that - rather than waiting until the end of the 30-day period and then waiting for a further seven days for the jobseeker to make any objections - you can agree on the information to be included in the publication during the 30-day period. However, where the objection period has passed and you have addressed any reasonable requirements from the jobseeker, the 30-day period continues to apply in respect of any fees that can be charged under any agreement.

Other workers

You cannot charge a fee for seven days from the date you enter into a contract with a composer, writer, artist, director, production manager, lighting cameraman, camera operator, make-up artist, clothes, hair, or make-up stylist, film editor, action arranger or co-ordinator, stunt arranger, costume or production designer, recording engineer, property master, film continuity person, sound mixer, photographer, stage manager, producer, choreographer or theatre designer for putting information about them in a publication or website (including promoting a photographic image or audio or video recording of them).

In that seven-day period they:

  • can cancel or withdraw from the contract without penalty
  • do not have to make any payment under the contract
  • you shall not include the information in the publication

Refunds

Jobseekers have the right to a refund if no publication is produced and made available to potential hirers within 60 days of the jobseeker paying the fee.