Employment Policy - Show Support

Employment Tips

You must abide by all the terms and conditions of your employment, especially punctuality, uniform, steel caps, tools and SMS your times at the end of your shift. Your performance may be reviewed if you fail to follow the instructions of your superiors or conduct yourself with a bad attitude.

You will never arrive to work intoxicated or drunk. This includes hangovers. Do not drink or take anything the night before your call. Anyone who shows up to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be sent home instantly and treated as if they had failed to show up.

You will always attend all jobs you are booked for. Once you accept a booking you must show up for it. If you need to cancel a booking, call the office during business hours and with 2 working days notice and inform the Ops Manager.

You will always arrive at work 15 mins early. This is in order to avoid unforeseen delays such as roadblocks, late trains and buses, breakdowns etc. It is seen as a sign of your professionalism and is expected. It is not paid for. When you receive an SMS notification of your job, 15 mins is automatically deducted from the start time. You will only be paid from the actual start time of the shift which is 15 mins after the time stated in the SMS. If you are late you will not be eligible to receive the bonus rate which is included in your rate. By late we mean the actual call time, so 15 mins after the start time quoted by the SMS.

You will always wear your Show Support uniform when working for Show Support. This consists of the Black Show Support Polo Shirt or the long sleeved black Show Support business shirt, Long neat black trousers, Black Steel Capped Safety boots. You must not have piercings or visible tattoos. Your hair must be neat, short or tied back. You must also wear your Show Support Waist pack with tools in it at all times (or wear tools on your belt see point below)

You will always carry tools on your person. This is a prerequisite to be eligible to work for Show Support. One of our selling points to clients is that the crew have tools on them at all times. We will provide you with your own Show Support Waist Pack to keep your tools in. Minimum requirements: 2 Shifting spanners and 1 Leatherman (or some such multi tool). Other useful items you may wish to include in your waist pack are screwdrivers, tech screwdrivers, connectors (xlr sex changers, bnc barrels etc), texta, tape measure, allen keys, pliers; whatever you think may come in handy. Even a door wedge could be useful. In order to be eligible to receive the bonus you must have tools visibly on your person, either on your belt or in your SHS waistpack. Also a 19:24 size podger (ratchet with a spike) is very useful and expected on some gigs.

You will always bring a large bottle of water to work with you. Your bonus is there to pay for a bottle of water and whatever meals you may need to bring to work to get you through your gig. If you do not bring a bottle of water to work with you, or necessary nourishment, you will not be eligible for your bonus for that shift.

You must bring to the attention of the office ASAP any SHS policy which contravenes the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 to which there is a link at the top of this page, so that we may ammend the policy. Please provide the Division or Part and Section of the act with a direct quotation.

You will always obey the instructions of your client or your superiors. You will never argue on a job either with the client or your workmates. If a client issues you an instruction, then do it immediately whether you agree with them or not (unless it is dangerous) Always follow the chain of command. There is a Managing Director – Ops Manager – Field Manager – Senior Crew Chief – Crew Chief – Crew. This is the chain of command you must be aware of and anyone receiving an instruction from someone above them in the hierarchy must obey. If there is a serious complaint refer it to the Managing Director/Ops Manager during business hours in writing. Never go behind a Crew Chief’s back to a client and get them to issue you different instructions from the ones the CC has given you. If there are two CCs in dispute, then the one with greater industry experience is to be listened to, unless that CC is behaving in an irrational fashion which gives a general consensus of those present sufficient grounds to doubt his/her sanity.

You will never give a client your contact number or details. If a client asks you for your mobile number with a view to booking you direct, and you give it to them, you and they are jeopardizing your relationship with Show Support and our relationship with them. There are plenty of production companies outside the scope of our clients and there is no problem with you approaching and working for them off your own bat. If you were working for a particular client of ours before you started with Show Support, then there is no problem there. But if you solicit one of our clients that you have been introduced to through Show Support for direct work, or if they solicit you and you accept, then there is a real problem. If a client asks for your number this is what you must do. Advise them that all contact between you and them must be made via the Show Support office.

You will not use your mobile phone while on a gig. The client is not paying for you to talk to your mates or chat on Facebook or share pictures to Instagram. There is nothing worse than someone standing there using their phone or texting someone when they should be working. Do these things on your own time.

You will not have unannounced cigarette breaks or coffee breaks. Do not expect to have a cigarette until at least 4 hours into your call. On a 3 hr bump out it will not be necessary to have a cigarette.

You will never tell the client how to do a job or argue with the instructions of a client. The client is the one paying you to do the work, not the other way round. Even if their request sounds stupid to you, just do it. After all, they are paying your bills and you are getting paid by the hour. This does not mean doing anything that might endanger yourself or anyone else. If a client asks you to do something that you deem to be unsafe, or which you know contravenes OHS regulations, then you must refuse. Please let the office know ASAP if this occurs.

You will never leave a shift until it is complete. The quoted finish times are only an estimate. You are not finished until the client says they are finished with you. Unless you inform the office when you are booked that you have previous commitments which compel you to finish work by a certain time, then you are expected to work until your call is finished, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE ESTIMATED FINISH TIME WAS. You should always allow at least 4 hrs after your estimated finish time. If you receive another booking or commitment that might conflict with your call, then it is perfectly reasonable to call the office and let us know. Provided we have 2 working days notice we may relinquish you of the booking you have made with us or we may give a solid guarantee that you may leave by a certain time. This does not mean that anyone else can just leave because someone on the crew has previously arranged to.

You will always accompany the client back to their warehouse at the end of a bump out to help unload their equipment. This is expected on every single job unless the client does not need you to go back. The client should not leave you stranded in difficult places after hours. If this occurs and you feel you must get a taxi in order to remain safe, then get one to the city and keep a receipt with an ABN on it. Try and get the client to pay this amount but otherwise give the receipt to us if there is no other alternative.

You will always work hard. This may seem obvious but it refers to people standing around waiting to be told what to do. If you do not know what to do, then figure it out. Approach the client or crew chief and ask them. Just walk up and say “what do you want me to do next?” Keep doing this until the job is completed.

You will not agitate. Anyone who persistently complains about the nature of the job should find employment elsewhere. The work is generally hard, that’s why we are there. If equipment is to be carried up stairs don’t have a look of shock and incredulity that you are expected to be the one to carry it up. Just start carrying it (safely and within OHS guidelines) and get it over with. Chances are, those stairs are the ONLY reason you are there. So if you find yourself grumbling “This is ridiculous, when do we get a break, this client couldn’t organize a piss up in a brewery, where are the egg and bacon rolls, when are these punters going to just leave, we should have been finished ages ago, I don’t do drapes, I hate base plates, I hate standing around, I hate working, I’m not carrying that shit up those stairs, I’m not a lighting guy, I’m not an audio guy, this job’s under crewed, we should have loaded in from over there, this wouldn’t happen in theatre, if they want us to carry tools they should pay for them, winch ups are the worst invention and should be outlawed etc, etc, etc”, Then go work somewhere else.

Never whinge or talk negatively about the work in a manner that could spread discontent among your fellow workers.

You will not expect a break within four hours of your call time. The award states that you are eligible for a break after four hours unless your call is to finish in the fifth hour. So what if it’s your normal dinnertime or breakfast or coffee time? We are expected to work unusual hours so make your own provisions. The client is not obligated to let you have a break three hours after your start time because you started early and need a cup of coffee.

You will always help others in trouble. If you see other people in trouble, struggling with the weight of something or opening a door or whatever, then help them out whenever you can regardless of who they are working for.

You will always wait for your call to commence in an appropriate place. If a show is running over time or you have arrived to work early, then you must find an appropriate place to wait for your work to commence. For example, if the foyer area outside a main room is full of punters chatting and drinking champagne and wine, then it would not be appropriate to grab a glass of beer and start mingling. Nor would it be advisable to walk into a presentation and sit up the back to watch the last slides, speeches or videos. If there is a lift that the punters are using and a goods lift, then the latter should be used. Never start bumping out till you have the word from the Tech in charge and never wait where you can be seen by the general public.

You will always enter the venue via the correct staff entry. Never just walk through the front entranceway that punters, guests, delegates use. Find out the staff entry routes and sign in at security when required. Never argue with security guards about anything, always accept what they say. If you are unsure of the correct staff entry for a venue, ask your workmates or contact the office during business hours for an explanation.

Only the client can change the activity/rate of the functions you are performing on a shift. If you have started a shift on an activity/rate such as SET or OUT (bump in or bump out) and you do some other activity for which you feel you deserve a higher rate such as EWP Operate or Rigging or Hog Program etc, you will only be paid the higher rate for this new activity if our client for the job calls through that activity/rate change. If you just text in your hours saying EWP Op you will not be paid for that activity/rate change as we only accept activity/rate changes from our clients.

You will exercise due care when traveling to and from work. Especially people riding pushbikes to work must have the appropriate lights, reflective materials and helmets. In addition, they should wear their hi vis safety vests as an extra precaution when riding to and from work.

You should always bring a large bottle of water to work with you as well as any food, sunscreen or wet weather gear you may need or whatever you think you may require.

You should always eat and have coffee or cigarettes before you start work as it may be four hours before your first break.

You should always bring a safety vest to work with you in case you will need it.

When advised you should also bring a hard hat to work with you.

You will perform all onsite inductions necessary to work in certain venues and for certain events in your own time with no expectation of financial remuneration

You will stay till the end of your three hour call. In the event of a client being late, if you do not receive any word from the office or the client that they are not going to show up, then please at least wait until your three hour call is up or you will not be paid for the shift.

You must be On Call and ready for work at the last minute at any time of the day or night.

If you are booked as Stand By crew, you must be ready to go to work as soon as you are called during the period of your stand by. If the phone calls you must answer it and be prepared to work. You will not be paid for being on stand by but will be the first person booked when work comes in.

Any copyright material produced pursuant to the terms of the contract of engagement with the contractee is deemed it vest to the exclusive benefit of the contractor.

Crew must never poach any Show Support crew for any other companies

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