New legal guidance on church musicians
The Legal Advisory Commission of the Church of England (LAC) has offered revised guidance to clarify interpretation of certain matters to do with the paid employment of musicians in churches.
The following article by Barry Williams, the RSCM’s Special Adviser at the time of writing, explaining the changes is published in CMQ September 2017.
Disclaimer: this article represents the writer’s understanding of the legal issues. Anyone who may be affected by the matters that it deals with should take their own legal advice; the RSCM accepts no responsibility in respect of anything said in the article.
A model draft contract is available here in two forms to allow for local amendments that individual churches may wish to make.
Disclaimer: this contract is produced for guidance only. It is not a substitute for specific legal advice tailed to individual circumstances. Please also bear in mind that legal and regulatory requirements change from time to time. The RSCM accepts no liability to persons who use all or any part of this specimen contract.
- The new Guidance can be found on the Church of England website.
- An ‘Employment Status Indicator’ provided on the HMRC website may assist musicians in finding out whether they are employed or self-employed.
