Hypothetical. Would this be permitted in a US state (or DC), or for that matter, Canadian province, Australian state (or NT and Canberra), New Zealand, UK (including Channel Islands and Man), or EU members.
Let’s say an eccentric multi-millionaire wanted to hire 20 people to live in a large building for a year. They have to be in it, or in a large yard on the building’s grounds, for over 6000 hours a year (keeping in mind that a common year (such as 2025) has 24 hrs/day x 365 days = 8760 hours).
While in this building, if they wear anything, they must wear uniforms of a fictional sci-fi story (like Star Trek, Space 1999, or Galaxy Quest) all the time. The uniforms are obvious but not uncomfortable, and are regularly washed. They must wear these uniforms while in the building, on the grounds, or even outside (they can wear less of the uniforms, or wear nothing, for bathing, other bathroom purposes, sleeping, whatever). They have to maintain hygiene. Grooming might be regulated, though probably not. While they have separate cabins, they might be checked for uniformity to the uniform code.
They will be required to improvise act, 6 hours a week, and might be hired to do other work if they wish. For such, they will be paid, say, US$30/hr (or equivalent), but for the rest of the time, they are paid nothing—thus (52 wks/year x 6 hrs/wk x $30/hr =) $9 360 minimally per person.
While in this building—and in uniform—and aside from the 6 hrs a week—they can do pretty much whatever they wish. This includes reading, listening to music (or any other audio), making music (there’s a music room with instruments they can use), watching TV (DVDs and the like), talking, lounging around, spending time on computers and taking whatever they make on computers home. Some effort will be made to get them books, audios, and videos that they want, and they can probably bring a few of their own. There is a large rec room with ping pong, air hockey, and pool tables. Outside is a yard, food garden, ornamental garden, where they can practice gardening skills at their will, as well as a lawn, bushy area where plants grow wild, basketball and tennis courts. They get free meals, and some health care costs are covered.
Aside from the aforementioned paid tasks, they will get only $20 000 each for that year. (i.e. $9 360 + $20 000 = $29 360)
Would this be allowed?
Thank you.
Absolutely. It would be more “allowable” if you didn’t call them employees, that’s your error here.
People can still sign contracts that dictate their actions. Only allow them the options of uniforms to wear, that’s easy. You just have to work out non-financial motivators.
Call it an immersive experience, call it an acting workshop retreat, recruit people you can convince it’s all real, say it’s a reality show and film it (or don’t!). Tons of legal options to not pay people for their time and motivate then to behave a certain way, all without just making it a straight up cult compound situation.
I mean, it’s mimicked in the Sims series, for one. And, that was preceded (& inspired IIRC?) by MTV’s Road Rules, etc. There’s a lot of content out there to drill into. 🤓
Are you asking if private prisons exist?
Yes they do, but they pay far less per hour.
Any, a few, or all of these 20 can leave at any time.
They have to be in it, or in a large yard on the building’s grounds, for over 6000 hours a year
Sounds like they cannot leave at any time if there is a restriction on leaving outside of work hours.
They are paid $20 000, to wear a uniform that year, and stay 6000 hours of that year, at the place.
8760 hours/yr - 6000 hours = 2760 hours = up to 115 full days away from the place
If they are required to wear uniforms and be present, and they aren’t in the military or in prison. then they are working those 6000 hours. If they are paid for that time then it wouldn’t be an issue.
Why are you tied to $20k in pay?
It’s simple, less than minimum wage if spread out through 6000 hours, yet I think many people would take the job.
Think about it: a person will get $20 000, free room and board, where wt:thon can spend all day playing soccer, basketball, pool, or video games—aside from 312 hours of improv—for which thon gets an additional $9 360.
Just pay them minimum wage, especially if they are getting paid for sleeping, and it becomes perfectly legal. Paying with room and board, as opposed to it being a perk on top of pay, is company store shenanigans and a no go at least in the US.
Getting people to take less than minimum wage is just an avenue for lawsuits when it is illegal.
6000 * $7.25 = $43,500 in all the states that use the national minimum wage and no overtime laws. You would absolutely get people if the room and board was provided on top of that pay.
6000 hrs is to stay there. They’d have to wear the uniform (if anything) 8760 hr for that year.
In Texas, that would be:
$7.25 x 6000 hours at the place would be $43 500, or over 1⅓x of what he’d pay them.
$7.25 x 8760 hours in the uniform place would be $63 510, or over twice of what he’d pay them.
I just check Poland.
Apparently min wage is zł4.666/month, or about US$1291.55/month, or $15 498.59/yr.
EU laws would kill your “I’m not paying you but I’m dictating what you’re doing” part.
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He will pay them $9 360 to work 312 hour to ad lib act.
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He might have other jobs for them. They don’t have to do them, but if they do, he will pay them $30/hr.
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He will pay each $20 000 to be there 6000 hours in that year, and (if clothed) to wear a uniform for all of that year. Besides that they can lounge around and do nothing.
If he’s dictating that they have to stay, that’s work time.
Are seamen paid a minimum wage for every hour they are on board a ship?
Irrelevant, this is not a ship.
So if these 20 had to stay in a ship, it would be permitted?
Not automatically. Check the ship contract law.
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Which country has the world’s highest prisoner population?
USA, that’s who.
Paid by government for their incarceration, prisons can get nearly free labor from their inmates.
A lot of convicts might volunteer for the conditions I’ve described.
You think they get a choice?
No, which makes my argument that they aren’t like convicts even stronger.
Hypothetically, yes this would be allowed in the US but they wouldn’t be employees. The closest I can think of offhand would be a 1099 contractor or something similar to military enlistment agreements.
Legal in Texas: put them on salary and have them sign a few papers.
According to this,
wp:Minimum wage in the United States#State
minimum wage in Texas is $7.25/hr.
$7.25 x 6000 hours at the place would be $43 500, or over 1⅓x of what he’d pay them.
$7.25 x 8760 hours in the uniform place would be $63 510, or over twice of what he’d pay them.
Salary also can’t be exempt from overtime if the salary works out to less than minimum wage for the hours worked. So only 2080 of the 6000 hours could be minimum wage and the other 3920 would be paid at time and a half.
Yep.
Salary in Texas avoids all that, I can hire you for a salary of 1$ a year and demand you work 60 hours. But you can quit any time
A Texan takes you up on your offer, works for 200 hours, and if you don’t pay wt:thon 200 x $7.25 = $1550, thon will sue you.
Presumably if you lose, you might have to pay court and legal fees.
They sign other papers in addition to receiving salary.
Usually with very low salary one expects other compensation, besides money: but performing arts and other categories allow legal creativity.
If More questions I may be wrong, such as exact details. But have seen this in real life ( although not me) . Should consult legal expert in Texas state law
UK resident: pretty sure you can’t dictate to your employees what they do on non work time unless you pay them on call wages. Ie be here and wear this. I guess you could write it into the contract and see if someone signs it but I don’t think it would hold up.
Yeah if anything in the contract violates the law then it’s invalid anyway.
which I’m wondering. 😁🙂
Before Trump probably not…now who the fuck knows
Making an Augumented Reality Video Game would be way cheaper lol
You can’t have sex with a video game though.
But then it would be illegal since that’s prostitution (OP said “US”)
I allow other countries in the body of the post. 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_law
👀
Still, too much labor costs, I’d just pay someone to make me a custom Augumented Reality Game. Maybe add some robots if you wanna… “have fun” 😉
Can’t imagine astronauts having it much better/worse. Maybe you can find an astronaut’s work contract?
astronauts (in the US) are salaried positions well over $100k a year, it is trivially easy to do what OP is asking for a salaried worker but not at the low low rates OP is aiming for
Largely, it would depend on the state and if they can be classified as tipped service workers or not.
Tipped service workers can be paid as low as $2.13 an hour in some states with the idea that tips bring them up to the minimum.
Federal law
The United States federal government requires a wage of at least $2.13 per hour be paid to employees who receive at least $30 per month in tips.[4] If wages and tips do not equal the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour during any week, the employer is required to increase cash wages to compensate.[5]
