Meal Periods

If you have a specific question about meal periods or need further information, please contact a business representative at your SAG-AFTRA local office.

The performer must be given the first meal break within six hours from the time of first call. The provisions for meal periods are the same for all performers.

The second meal break must be called within six hours from the time of call back from the first meal break. The Producer can deduct actual time up to one hour spent at meals.

Please note that, for the purpose of synchronizing performer and crew meal-time, the performer may be given a non-deductible meal of 15 minutes free from all activity within two hours of the performer’s call time. A notation indicating the start and finish time of the non-deductible meal must be on the production time report.

The first meal break would then be due six hours from the end of the non-deductible meal.

Meal penalty payments for violations of either meal period are:

• for the first half-hour, or fraction thereof $25
• for the second half-hour, or fraction thereof $35
• for each half-hour thereafter, or fraction thereof $50

Note: Those penalty amounts don't apply to Student, Short and Ultra Low Budget Films. For those films, the penalty is $25/half-hour or fraction thereof.