Production Value

Working Conditions in Germany

Permits

Germany is part of the EU. No special permits for EU members (including the Swiss) needed. Non-EU (f. e. US) collaborators need permits.

Working Hours

40 — 65 hours a week. The minimum union salaries cover up to a 50 hrs week.
5 days a week — a 6th day is possible, but usually paid pro rata with a markup (25 — 50%, dependent upon if 50 or 60 hrs have been worked during the preceding 5 days), because considered as overtime
8- 13 hours a day (under exceptional circumstances and particular shooting days even more, but approval of the entire crew would then be obligatory and the following turnaround 12 hours minimum). Exceptional circumstances are f. e. limited location availability, huge crowd scenes, weather problems, force majeure, unforeseen events beyond the producer’s responsibility. It is assumed that for a 13 hrs day, at least 3 hrs should be ‘standby’ (whatever that means…).
11 hours minimum turnaround obligatory without exception (safety issue..)
Flat fees (generated from the anticipated daily / weekly working hours and number of night shoots are common (up to 40% and more above minimum)
Break: at least half an hour between the 4th and 5th hour (there is some flexibility though with regard to certain shooting conditions)
Shooting days longer than 10 hours require a second meal / break (minimum 15 minutes); after 12 hours another such break is obligatory — preferably both breaks should be merged

Overtime

from the 51st to the 60th hour + 25%
from the 61st to the 70th hour + 50%
from the 71st hour on + 100 %
Night work is considered between 22:00 and 06:00 and requires a markup of 25%
A very complicated “time account” computation has been introduced recently (see www.gagenrechner.de)
Sundays require a markup of 50%
Holidays require a markup of 100%
Both, Sundays and public holidays, require special shooting permits
If shooting on distant location (at least 30km from residence), working hours count between departure of / return to hotel.

Social Insurances

These figures depend on two variables: the actual salary (with a cap per week or day) and the length of employment. These are the current rough caps for

Health: € 125 per calendar day → daily fee (5 day wk) > € 170
Pension: € 183 per calendar day → daily fee (5 day wk) > € 257

These apply to crew and cast. Fringes are roughly split 50/50 between employer and employee (for health / long term care insurances, only employees have to pay additionally 0.9% / 0.25%). These are the current employer’s shares (varying slightly from year to year):

pension insurance 9.95 %
health insurance 7%
compulsory long term care insurance 0.975%
unemployment insurance 1.4%
employer’s liability insurance association 1.3%
employer’s insolvency fund 0.41%
contribution to continuation of payments to sick employees and pregnancy 2%
holiday entitlement 10% (half a day per week)

Total fringes to be paid by the employer amount to an average of approx. 23% plus the additional 10% holiday entitlement. For budget purposes this average is not very precise — due to the cap, for the lowest salaries the highest percentages apply, for the highest salaries much lower percentages instead. The average therefore depends on the numeric relation between low paid and high paid crew members.

‘Creative’ crew members (such as production designers, conceptional artists etc.) entitled to issue invoices for their activities, are subject to KSK (artist’s social insurance) contributions: 3.9% in 2010.

Crew Rates

Please refer to the enclosed PDF applicable since January 01, 2010.

These are absolute minimum rates are usually applied to TV productions for max. 50 hrs / week. For theatrical movies, they can increase by 50% or even more, depending on experience, reputation and track record.

Electricians and grips are not yet included in union agreements: the usual (10 hrs) rate for a gaffer is about € 360 (in reality, because 10 hrs are rarely sufficient, between 450 — 500 per day, for a key / dolly grip about € 340,- (400 — 450), for a lighting technician about € 320,- (360).

It is not allowed to substitute a regular job with a trainee/intern!

Allowances

Per diems are € 24 per day (24 hours) for domestic journeys, less 20% if the employer pays for breakfast in the hotel.

For absence from home for less than 24 hrs but more than 14 hrs the amount is reduced to € 12.

These amounts are tax free for the employee — higher per diems can be negotiated (and often are for name actors for example) but are subject to taxation then.

Mileage allowances for the use of a car owned by the employee usually amount to € 0.30 / km (sometimes daily or weekly flat amounts are being negotiated).

Actors' Rates

There are no minimum fees, beginners are paid +/- € 500, but fees usually start at € 800. A good actor will be paid between € 2,500 - € 5,000 per day, a German ‘star’ up to € 10,000 – 15,000 per day. Depending on the amount of shooting days, flat deals, reducing the ‘normal’ daily fee, are customary.

For children’s performances, please read the enclosed memo (.doc) and PDF. German labor law — as in most EU countries — for children’s work is very rigid!