Payroll +

Insurance

When you book artists and crew through LuLu Artists Collective and Blackbird Tailoring, we manage all payroll internally in partnership with Out of the Box Solutions

LuLu and Blackbird clients receive a discounted rate on payroll processing via OOTB. The LuLu team facilitates all payroll administration and related communication with artists and crew. LuLu takes payroll off your plate and you get a compliant and correctly insured team!

LuLu and OOTB Manage All Onboarding & Time Tracking

  • LuLu and OOTB manage the entire onboarding process for all artists and crew.

  • Employees track their time with OOTB’s simple digital portal.

  • LuLu and OOTB handle all necessary employee communication to check timecard submissions for accuracy.

  • OOTB educates employees on meal and rest break regulations.

  • OOTB’s comprehensive industry knowledge allows them to keep industry-standard 8-, 10-, and 12-hour work days compliant with wage and hour laws.

OOTB Covers All Artists & Crew With Top-Rated Insurance

  • OOTB keeps your team covered with:

    • Workers’ compensation

    • General liability insurance

    • Employment practices liability insurance (EPLI)

    • Disability & unemployment insurance

  • OOTB manages all workplace-related claims.

OOTB understands agency fees & commissions

  • All lead artist talent commissions are deducted before payroll is processed. This means that both clients and artists are not taxed on this amount.

  • Paying artists accurate wages with commissions deducted pre-tax reduces client payroll costs.

  • Artists are not taxed on the commission portion of their pay. This reduces their income tax burden and makes for happy artists.

Employee Benefits:

Happy Artists = Happy Clients

Payroll is more than compliance.
It is a benefit that we are proud to offer to our team of artists, tailors, and crew.

Some of the benefits that employees receive when they are paid via payroll include:

  • All employees are paid weekly. No more waiting 45-60 days for payment!

  • Access to paid sick leave. Employees accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours that they work.

  • Access to COVID sick pay under applicable state laws.

  • San Francisco Health Care Security Ordinance (SF HCSO) funds. For every hour worked in San Francisco, employees receive $3.51. These funds accrue in a medical reimbursement account and can be applied toward most out-of-pocket medical-related expenses and premiums. An employee can accrue up to $603.72 in HCSO funds per month.

  • FICA, SDI, and Unemployment Insurance. OOTB covers half of employees’ FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) and SDI (State Disability Insurance) taxes and also pays into Unemployment Insurance on their behalf. W-2 employees pay a 6.2% Social Security tax and 1.45% Medicare tax on their earnings. As their employer, OOTB matches this 7.65% payment.

    In comparison, a 1099-compensated worker (independent contractor) is responsible for paying the entire 15.3% (7.65% + 7.65%) on all earnings up to $142,800. Independent contractors also have no employer paying into unemployment or disability on their behalf. When work is slow or non-existent (as it was during the COVID shutdown), having access to unemployment benefits is an important safety net.