Florida Gulf Coast Symphony v. Dept. of Labor

386 So. 2d 259, 1980 Fla. App. LEXIS 15789
CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedMarch 21, 1980
Docket79-1240
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 386 So. 2d 259 (Florida Gulf Coast Symphony v. Dept. of Labor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Florida Gulf Coast Symphony v. Dept. of Labor, 386 So. 2d 259, 1980 Fla. App. LEXIS 15789 (Fla. Ct. App. 1980).

Opinion

386 So.2d 259 (1980)

FLORIDA GULF COAST SYMPHONY, INC., Petitioner,
v.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT SECURITY, etc., Respondents.

No. 79-1240.

District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.

March 21, 1980.

*260 G. Kristin Delano of Harris, Barrett & Dew, St. Petersburg, for petitioner.

Alex D. Littlefield, Jr., Tallahassee, for respondents.

HOBSON, Acting Chief Judge.

Petitioner Florida Gulf Coast Symphony, Inc. seeks review of a final agency order rendered by the Department of Labor and Employment Security. The contested order approved a jeopardy tax lien and jeopardy assessment against petitioner and found that both the individual musicians and the symphony conductor are employees of petitioner and not independent contractors. Petitioner was ordered to file corrected reports and pay contributions to the employment compensation fund of Florida in the amount of $28,495.54. We reverse.

After the Division of Employment Security filed a jeopardy assessment and jeopardy tax lien, petitioner filed a written protest asserting that the musicians were independent contractors and requesting a formal hearing which was duly held before a special deputy of the Department of Commerce.[1] The report and recommendation of the special deputy found that the musicians and the conductor were employees of petitioner and not independent contractors. The final order of the acting director of the Division of Employment Security sustained the special deputy's report and recommendation.

Special Deputy's Findings of Fact:

The report and recommendation, as adopted in the final order, made the following findings of fact:

Petitioner engages musicians, after auditions by the conductor, to perform professional services in the area of their expertise. Petitioner establishes the time, place and length of rehearsals for all musicians and rents the rehearsal and concert halls. The musicians consider themselves independent contractors and are engaged through a written contract.[2] The contract covers services for a concert season running from November 1 to April each year.

Under the terms of the written contract:

1) The musician agrees to appear and play in each concert on the dates and at the places arranged by the petitioner.
2) The musician agrees to rehearse for a period not to exceed three hours at such times and places as the association directs.
3) The musician must, throughout the term of his contract, be a member in good standing of the American Federation of Musicians and abide by its rules and regulations. If a musician fails to abide by all its rules, petitioner may terminate the services of the musician without any obligation other than to pay to the musician all sums due to the date of termination.
4) The musician must notify the petitioner of his inability to appear for any given reason either at a concert or rehearsal.
*261 5) The contract between the petitioner and the musician may be cancelled by either party if fourteen days written notice is provided.[3]
6) The remuneration received by each musician is individually negotiated by the musician and the petitioner.

The report further found that petitioner handles all advertising and promotion for the concerts, provides a conductor who decides what music will be played and has complete authority over the musicians while he is on the podium directing rehearsals and concerts. Petitioner's executive director is responsible for the musicians' promptness for concerts and their stage deportment.

Although petitioner owns some musical equipment valued at approximately $100,000, the musicians provide their own instruments, the value of which far exceeds petitioner's investment. Petitioner has the right to discharge a musician if he fails to appear in accordance with the contract.[4] A majority of the musicians who perform under contract with petitioner are gainfully employed elsewhere and receive a majority of their earnings from areas other than the petitioner. The musicians maintain an extremely high skill level and are free to negotiate other contracts for similar services with musical associations other than petitioner.

The report and recommendation approved by numerical reference several proposed findings of fact submitted by petitioner:

The musicians receive musical scores one week in advance of the first group rehearsal of that score. They are expected to have achieved a high degree of technical proficiency in playing the score prior to the first rehearsal. The personal practice necessary to achieve that proficiency is accomplished by the individual musician in his personal residence and not under the direction of petitioner.

Each musician determines the means by which the musical effect will be achieved in his individual practice session and petitioner has no control over this activity. The musicians practice three to four hours per day in their own homes or work places, not only on the off weeks but during rehearsal and concert weeks, as well as during the six months between seasons.

Petitioner does not attempt to regulate the time in which the individual musicians conduct their personal practice. This practice time constitutes substantially more than two-thirds of the time which the musician expends in satisfying his obligation to petitioner. The only control which conductor exercises over the musicians is related to the musical result produced and not to the means of producing it.[5]

Discussion:

There are two issues before us in this case:

I. Whether the matter of the conductor's status was properly before the special deputy at the formal hearing, and
II. Whether the agency correctly applied the law to the instant facts in order to determine the status of the musicians.

As to the first issue, the notice of hearing advised petitioner to be "ready to present evidence on whether individuals performing services as `musician' are in employment. *262..." This statement was insufficient to give petitioner notice that the conductor's status would be at issue. A "musician" is generally understood to be one who performs or composes music. American Heritage Dictionary, 865 (1969). Although the conductor may be a musician, this is not the primary duty associated with that position. In other words, a conductor is not hired to perform or compose music but to direct and interpret the music composed and performed by others. Therefore, we hold that the notice of hearing was insufficient to allow petitioner properly to prepare its argument, and the issue of the conductor's status was improperly considered by the special deputy and the agency. We set aside that portion of the final order which held that the conductor is an employee and not an independent contractor.

Regarding the question of the individual musicians' status, we approve the criteria used by the special deputy, but disapprove the application of that criteria to the instant facts. The accepted criteria are found in Magarian v. Southern Fruit Distributors, 146 Fla. 773, 1 So.2d 858 (1941) as follows:

In determining whether one acting for another is a servant or an independent contractor, the following matters of fact, among others are considered:
(a) the extent of control which, by the agreement, the master may exercise over the details of the work;

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Bluebook (online)
386 So. 2d 259, 1980 Fla. App. LEXIS 15789, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/florida-gulf-coast-symphony-v-dept-of-labor-fladistctapp-1980.