Working Conditions in Austria

Permits

Austria is part of the EU. No special permits (including for the Swiss) needed.

Working Hours

• 40 hour week / 5 days a week (Mon-Fri) / 8 hours a day or
• 60 hour week / 5 days a week / 12 hours a day or
• 60 hour week / 6 days a week / 10 hours a day
• Lunch break is minimum 30 to maximum 60 minutes and has to start before the end of the 6th working hour
• Turnaround is minimum 11 hours
• If shooting takes place outside city of Vienna, working time starts and ends at the local production office

Overtime

Official regulations referring to the "Kollektivvertrag" - Austrian wage agreement

• 40 hour week: First two hours overtime are 50%, after that 100%
• 60 hour week: 100%
• working hours between 22:00h and 6:00h are officially 100%
• Only 40 hour week: Working hours on Saturday after the 5th hour or after 15:00h are 100%
• Sundays and Holidays are 100% + 1 additional paid extraday
• individual agreements are possible!

Rates

Please refer to the rates card.

In the 40h/week-table as well as in 60h/week-table, we would recommend to take the "inkl. SZ und Urlaubsersatzleistung" column. In Austria, it's common that employees get paid 14 monthly salaries, a double salary in June and one in December. This is called "SZ" (Sonderzahlungen). Furthermore, every employee is entitled to get at least 5 weeks of paid holidays per year. Since there is no opportunity to go on holidays during a tight production-schedule, film crew members get paid for non-consumed holidays. This is meant by "Urlaubsersatzleistung" (compensation for not consumed holidays).

In some cases, the rates could be up to 20% higher than listed.

Fringes

All of the crew members stated in the "Kollektivvertrag" have to be employed by the production company. Freelance agreements are only allowed with "contracts for specific work" (e.g. Production Designers). Since payroll accounting in Austria is kind of a science, a 24%flat-rate for fringes is an approximation but alright for budgeting purposes.

Allowances

Travel allowance (for more than 3 hours work outside the office but in the same town where the company is based) is € 14,- (+10% VAT = € 15,40) for work outside the city, but in Austria € 24,-(+10% VAT = € 26,40).

On shooting days with an "appropriate" catering (2 meals, at least one hot) is provided, there are no allowances.

On shooting days with an "appropriate" catering (2 meals, at least one hot) is provided, there are no allowances.

Actors Wages

For feature films in average € 1.800 up to € 3.000 (in some cases even higher) + fringes

Extras

€ 55,- to € 70,- (for 10 hours) + € 15 to € 22,- each for wardrobe or make up fittings etc. Specials (special selected/featured/special ability/doubles): € 110,- to 125,- (for 10 hours) incl. fringes (only if booked through an agency)

Funding opportunities

Austrian Film Institute
www.filminstitut.at

Film Industry Support Austria (FISA)
www.filmstandort-austria.at

List of all regional Funds:
www.filminstitut.at/foerderstellen

Important Addresses

Austrian Film Commission
www.afc.at

Location Austria
location-austria.at

Austrian Film Institute
www.filminstitut.at