Meal & Rest Periods:
Video Shoots

This page covers meal and rest period guidelines for video shoots. There are different guidelines for still photography shoots. Please review the following information carefully. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in additional financial penalties. If you have any questions, please reach out to your OOTB Account Manager.

Film & Video: Meal Breaks

California law requires that all non-exempt, hourly employees take meal breaks as follows:

PLEASE NOTE:

  • An employee’s first meal break must begin BEFORE the employee has completed 6 full hours of work.

  • An employee’s second meal break must begin NO LATER than 6 hours after the end of the preceding meal period.

  • A meal penalty is equivalent to 1 hour of work and is paid to the employee when meal breaks are not taken in accordance with the law, as described below. These penalties are paid as wages to the employee and charged to the client.

  • During a meal break, an employee must be completely released from their duties and free to leave the set during that 30-minute time period if they choose to do so. If an employee is provided with a meal break at the beginning of their shift, these rules must still be followed.

Film & Video: Rest Breaks

California law requires that all non-exempt, hourly employees take rest breaks as follows:

PLEASE NOTE:

  • If an employee is entitled to two rest breaks, one should be taken before the meal break and one should be taken after the meal break.

  • Rest breaks should not be combined with each other or with the employee’s meal break.

  • Rest breaks should be taken, as far as is practical, in the middle of each work period.

  • If rest breaks are not permitted, the employee may be eligible for a break penalty that is equivalent to 1 hour of work for each rest break not given. These penalties are paid as wages to the employee and charged to the client.

Please see the below chart for examples of when meal breaks should be taken based on the employee’s start time.