![]() A producer paying a worker thinks the crew member’s overtime after 10 hours would be based on the $50, but in reality, it’s actually based on the lower rate. For that same $500 for 10 hours, the hourly rate would be $45.45. Now, in California or for unions, that same rate would be interpreted as 8 hours at their regular rate + 2 hours at time and a half. Their concept of a 10-hour day at say $500 per day is $50 per hour. But as an example, let’s say we’re in Texas or Georgia. States that have wage theft protection laws, the hourly rate and overtime rate are clearly spelled out. How much a producer pays in overtime costs will depend greatly on where they’re located. Overtime rate calculations in California vs. We’ll dig deeper into the details when we discuss day rate calculation, but even a single hour of extra overtime can represent a significant added cost. Avoid opening yourself up to unnecessary risk wherever possible.īut what about the reverse? What happens, for example, if the day runs for 14 hours?Ī day rate is still subject to change if the planned amount is exceeded. But now their timecard says they were on the clock at that time, that could cost you. Say a crew member leaves set after 10 hours, and they get into a fender bender on the drive home. Though, it is best practice and highly suggested to stick to what is contractually agreed. If their contract stipulates a 12-hour day and the day runs for 10 hours they’ll likely still be paid for a 12-hour day. In California, there is a daily overtime limit of 8 hours, whereas in New York, as long as the weekly limit of 40 hours isn't reached, a worker could work 10 hours and then begin accruing overtime after that.Įxperienced crew members and producers will be well aware of how crew members’ day rates function. A day rate that corresponds to a 12-hour day, for instance, must account for approximately 4 hours of overtime pay per day (at least in California, unions, and in states where there is a daily overtime limit). hourly rate conversation.īecause many productions plan for shoot days to run longer than 8 hours, day rate amounts are contracted to likewise correspond to a higher total number of hours per day. It goes without saying that overtime can dramatically increase an employee’s earnings, a reality that significantly complicates the flat rate vs. Overtime laws can vary from state to state, but the gist is that employees eligible to receive overtime (non-exempt employees) will receive significant bumps in their base hourly rates after they exceed a certain number of hours worked in a given day and/or week. Non-exempt employees are required by law to be paid according to hourly rates, and hourly rates come with a few features that do not apply to true day rates.Ĭan you guess which feature matters most in an industry where a “normal” workday lasts between twelve and sixteen hours? Yep. Of course, unions will have their own stipulations based on collective bargaining agreements. And if you know the difference between exempt and non-exempt employees, you know that this classification has a huge impact on how crew members’ total earnings are calculated.Įxempt employees will get their fixed day rate regardless if they're working for an hour or 12. Exemption statusĬrew members are classified as non-exempt employees. Well, if you care to ask a production accountant, they’ll tell you that the difference is massive. ![]() ![]() After all, who cares about hourly rates if each employee is being paid, more or less, by a day rate anyway? What’s the difference, right? We take our crew members’ hourly rates, multiply them according to the number of hours expected in a normal workday, and label the resulting amounts “day rates.”Īt this point, you might be tempted to think that the flat rate vs. In reality, what we commonly call “day rates” in the film industry are actually an estimation based on crew members’ hourly rates. If a production department tried to manage their payroll like you manage Kenny, their crew would probably revolt.Įmployers are legally not allowed to pay their employees lump sums, which means that day rate pay is effectively illegal. Professional filmmakers definitely aren’t paid like Kenny. It doesn’t matter if he works one hour or eight hours or sixteen hours, if Kenny worked one day, he’s getting paid $350 for that day. Day rates are simply a method of calculating an employee's rate of pay for each day of work.įor instance, if you hired an employee- let’s call him “Kenny”- at a day rate of $350, you would pay Kenny $350 for each day that he works. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |