When You Should Get a Per Diem When Standing In

As of July 1, 2026, stand-ins working at an “overnight location” are due per diems.

But will they be paid them? That is the question!

This post covers the somewhat contested topic of per diems for stand-ins working on location. It is subject to some controversy, so this information may expire if the controversy is ever settled. Have a read!

Background Information

The Theatrical Agreement and the Television Agreement share a section of contract covering background actors. Under those Agreements, stand-ins are considered a kind of background actor. For simplicity, since this is Stand-In Central, we’ll speak only of stand-ins.

These Agreements cover the topic of when a stand-in works on location and the producer requires the stand-in to lodge overnight at that location. This tends to happen when shooting far from the main area of production — for example, two hours away from New York City — where commuting back to the main area of production at wrap could be costly in terms of travel-time pay, or even dangerous given tired drivers.

Such a location in the Agreements is called an “overnight location.” If the producer lodges you overnight for a location shoot, then it is probably defined as an “overnight location.”

In contrast, if you return from the location shoot on the day, then such a location is called in the Agreements a “nearby location.”

Per Diems

Before July 1, 2026, per diems for stand-ins working at an overnight location were not a part of the Agreements. If you worked at an overnight location before this date, you might still have received a per diem.  SAG-AFTRA might even have negotiated one for you. But under the language of the Agreements, the Producer was not required to pay a per diem.

That changed on July 1, 2026, when the Agreements included requirements to pay per diems to stand-ins. Here is the added language to Schedule X, Parts I & II, which cover background actors working in feature films and dramatic television series in the “Zones” of Los Angeles and New York City:

Per Diem

All background actors shall be entitled to a basic per diem allowance for meals on overnight locations, which shall be as follows:

The foregoing per diems are minimums only and are subject to individual bargaining at not less than the indicated per diem rate.

Producers recognize that, on some locations, the prevailing reasonable cost for meals exceeds the foregoing amounts and, in such instances, Producer will adjust the per diem rates accordingly.

Regardless of the time of call, the first major meal (either lunch or dinner) served shall be deducted at the lunch rate.

The Producer shall have the right to deduct from the per diem the appropriate amount for each such meal furnished.

Note that this new subsection of language does not stipulate when the producer should pay stand-ins their per diems.

Controversy

In an email dated August 25, 2026, SAG-AFTRA has shared with Stand-In Central’s Editor that it is the Union’s “position that Per Diem payments be paid at the beginning of the workday or work week, and not added on a voucher for future payment.”

Later, in an email dated August 28, 2026, SAG-AFTRA characterized the timeline for per diem payment as “an industry wide dispute.”

What to Do

If you work as a stand-in on a feature film or dramatic television series and are lodged overnight, you are likely in a position to receive some amount of per diem payment from the producer, as required by the applicable Agreement.

It is SAG-AFTRA’s position you should receive that per diem at the beginning of your work week or work day — although that requirement is not in the Agreements.

If you do not receive your per diem at the beginning of your work week or work day, SAG-AFTRA takes the position the per diem is late.

If you submit a claim inquiry form (you can complete it online), SAG-AFTRA may investigate the payment of your overdue per diem and any applicable late fees it may incur.

Make sure to submit your claim inquiry form as soon as you can. There may be a time limit of around 30 days at play, and submitting after that time may make your claim inquiry untimely.

If there is a bona fide dispute around your claim, late fees might pause rather than accumulate. It is unclear whether SAG-AFTRA would take the position of a upper bound on per diem late fees.

With that said, stand-ins in the Los Angeles Zone have an upper bound in late fees for a late pay check of $125.

In contrast, stand-ins in the New York Zone have no upper bound to pay-check late fees.

Additional Thoughts

A late per diem may be a good thing if you are not hurting for the cash when working out of town. That late per diem may turn into more money through late fees, which accumulate at a pace of $5 per late day.

With that said, there is a lot of room for SAG-AFTRA to settle grievances despite your best wishes, even defying some amount of logic — meaning you could end up with far less in late fees than you otherwise believe is due given the power SAG-AFTRA has to settle grievances and control the grievance procedure even despite your dissatisfaction. That can mean what you get in the end can definitely suck compared to what you thought you might get.

But some extra money is better than no money when it comes to late fees, and it is great to see that this big hole in the Agreements is now plugged with language requiring producers of feature films and dramatic television series to pay stand-ins per diems at overnight locations.

What has been your history with per diems? Have you collected late fees on a late per diem payment? Share your thoughts in the comment box below!