# Meal penalty

Source: https://storiara.com/glossary/meal-penalty
Last updated: 2026-09-14
Author: Charles Hirschhorn, Storiara

> A meal penalty is a contractual payment owed to a union crew member or performer when production doesn't start a meal break within the allowed time, generally six hours from call or from the end of the previous meal. It is charged in half-hour units, with the amount increasing for each successive half hour of delay.

## How the escalation adds up

Here's a location day with a 7:00 AM crew call. Lunch is due six hours later, at 1:00 PM. The 1st AD is chasing the last setup of a scene and calls lunch at 3:05 PM, 2 hours 5 minutes late. That's five half-hour units, because the final 5 minutes counts as a full unit.

Using the IATSE Local 80 schedule for work outside a studio:

| Unit | Delay window | Penalty per person |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1:00 to 1:30 | $7.50 |
| 2nd | 1:30 to 2:00 | $10.00 |
| 3rd | 2:00 to 2:30 | $12.50 |
| 4th | 2:30 to 3:00 | $12.50 |
| 5th | 3:00 to 3:05 | $25.00 |
| **Total** | | **$67.50** |

With 45 union crew on the clock, that lunch costs 45 x $67.50 = $3,037.50. If lunch had been called at 1:25 instead, it would have been one unit: 45 x $7.50 = $337.50. The fifth unit alone is 45 x $25 = $1,125, and it starts at the two-hour mark. Local 80 also notes that a crew member with 20 or more meal penalties in a week is owed one hour of pay at their prevailing rate for each half hour of delay, which is far more expensive than the flat amounts.

## Performers have their own schedule

SAG-AFTRA meal rules also start the clock at six hours from call and six hours after the previous meal ended. SAG-AFTRA's help center lists $25 for the first half hour, $35 for the second, and $50 for each half hour after that, and the 2026 TV/Theatrical agreement added a new tier at $75 per half hour for principal performers from the fifth half hour of delay, with $15 for background actors. Low budget agreements generally follow the Basic Agreement on penalties, but confirm against your agreement's digest before you budget. Performer meal times are recorded on [Exhibit G](https://storiara.com/glossary/exhibit-g).

## How productions avoid them

The usual tools are a non-deductible breakfast at call, which moves the six-hour clock, rolling meals by department, and a realistic schedule that doesn't put the hardest scene right before lunch. A [second meal](https://storiara.com/glossary/second-meal) is due six hours after the first ends, so long days collect penalties twice.

## Where it lands in the budget

Meal penalties go on the daily [hot costs](https://storiara.com/glossary/hot-costs) and then into the labor accounts on the [cost report](https://storiara.com/glossary/cost-report). Most budgets carry a small allowance per shoot day rather than zero. The [meal penalty calculator](https://storiara.com/tools/meal-penalty-calculator) runs the escalation for a whole crew, and [meal penalties explained](https://storiara.com/blog/meal-penalties-explained) covers the non-union side.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much is a meal penalty for IATSE crew?

Under the West Coast studio local agreements as published by IATSE Local 80, work outside a studio pays $7.50 for the first half hour, $10.00 for the second, $12.50 for the third and fourth, and $25.00 for the fifth through nineteenth. Studio work pays $8.50, $11.50, $13.50, and $25.00.

### Does a partial half hour count as a full meal penalty?

Yes. Each meal penalty is 30 minutes or any fraction of it, so lunch called 31 minutes late is two penalties.

### What is the 12-minute grace period?

Under the West Coast studio local agreements, production can extend a meal period deadline by up to 12 minutes to finish a shot. The AMPTP reminded producers in 2024 that grace 'shall not be scheduled nor automatic nor is it intended for everyday use.'

### Are meal penalties the same for actors?

No. SAG-AFTRA performers have their own schedule under the Codified Basic Agreement, and the 2026 TV/Theatrical agreement added a $75 per half hour tier for principal performers from the fifth half hour of delay ($15 for background actors).

## Sources

- [IATSE Local 80 FAQ: meal penalty rates, grace, and turnaround](https://www.iatselocal80.org/our-faqs/faq-frequently-asked-questions/)
- [2024 IATSE Basic Agreement Memorandum of Agreement (bulletin re: meal penalties)](https://iatse.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2024-IATSE-Basic-Agreement-MOA-FINAL.pdf)
- [SAG-AFTRA 2026 TV/Theatrical Contracts Referendum Booklet (section 22, meals)](https://www.sagaftra.org/sites/default/files/2026-05/2026%20TV-Theatrical%20Contracts%20Tentative%20Agreement%20Referendum%20Booklet.pdf)
- [SAG-AFTRA: When are meals due?](https://www.sagaftra.org/when-are-meals-due-what-are-liquidated-damages-if-not-fed-time)