10 Day Payment Law
By law your agent cannot keep money owed to you for longer than 10 days.
The time it takes for your agent to be paid from a job you have worked can vary, but communication with your agent regarding pay should be transparent and timely. Once an agent is paid by production, it must be sent on to you within 10 days (not working days!)
Usual terms of payment from production is within 30 days, most often it’s sooner. When the agent invoices, the term on the invoice is usually ‘payment within 30 days’. Occasionally the job may state it’s 60 days or more, but then the actor should always be informed. The exception to this is commercial buyouts as you don’t always know if, or when, the commercial is being released, but your agent should also be on top of that and informing you.
By law, an agent should have a separate client account that the money goes directly into. This money should not be touched or used by the agent. Once they take their agreed commission, money is to be sent directly on to the actor.
You shouldn’t have to be chasing your agent for pay, they should be voluntarily informing you of the process - not being evasive, deceitful, dismissive, or vague.
You should not be waiting for multiple months or years (!!) for pay, and when you do receive pay it should ALWAYS come with the remittance you are entitled to: a document clearly stating the details of the payment including the date, gross amount received, any deductions (such as agency fees or taxes), the net amount paid to you, and the dates relevant to the job and payment.
If you are having issues with withheld pay, lack of transparency, or unreasonable delays, you have the right to raise the issue formally with your agent, your union (if you are a member), Spotlight, and the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate.
Don’t hesitate to seek advice or support - timely and clear payment is your legal right.
It is illegal for agents to hold onto your money for longer than TEN DAYS after receiving it from the paying client. Legislation states...
“An agent which received money on behalf of a work seeker, which it is required to pay into a client account, shall hold it as trustee for that work seeker, but shall not continue to hold it on any day after the expiry of ten days - beginning with the day it is received.”
If you suspect your agent is withholding your money, or you feel ignored, dismissed or intimidated when raising concerns about payment, click here to read advice on next steps to take.
Written by Alexa Morden
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