Lighting technicians
Effective from 1 September 2025
In August 2024, the Bectu Lighting Technicians Branch voted to accept a three-year pay deal with the Advertising Producers Association (APA). A 4% rate increase was agreed for all commercial productions starting on or after 1 September 2025.
These rates apply to all commercial content, including television, online, print, fashion, social media and any other format.
Lee Lighting Services Ltd uses the Sparks Branch / APA commercial figures below as its recommended minimum rates for lighting technicians. The figures shown include a further 4% uplift applied to the published rates. Rates may be negotiated upwards. Any more favourable production-specific or collectively agreed terms will take precedence.
Commercial Rates
| Role | 10-hour shoot day | 8-hour prep / rig day | Standard hourly overtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaffer | £585.00 | £468.00 | £88.00 per hour |
| Lighting Technician / Electrician | £457.00 | £366.00 | £66.00 per hour |
| Programmable Lighting Desk Operator | £527.00 | £422.00 | £69.00 per hour |
The weekday prep / rig fee is calculated as the 10-hour shoot-day rate divided by 10 and multiplied by 8.
Premium Rates
| Saturday | Sunday | Statutory holiday | After six overtime hours or after midnight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5T | 2T | 2.5T | 3T |
T means the applicable basic hourly rate shown above or derived from the confirmed role rate. Where a written booking confirmation or production agreement provides more favourable terms, those terms will apply.
Terms and Conditions
1. Booking and scope
A booking is confirmed only when Lee Lighting Services Ltd issues or accepts written confirmation identifying the production, role, date or dates, call time or anticipated hours, location, fee and any special requirements. Technicians must promptly disclose any conflict, limitation, competency issue or licence requirement relevant to the engagement.
2. Basic working day
The guaranteed prep / rig working day is eight working hours plus the normal one-hour meal break. A continuous working day of seven hours may be scheduled and is paid at the eight-hour prep / rig fee.
The commercial shoot-day fee covers 10 working hours plus a one-hour meal break. The normal call time may fall between 07:00 and 11:00.
3. Early calls and overtime
Calls between 00:00 and 05:00 are paid at 3T. Calls between 05:00 and 07:00 are paid at the applicable overtime rate.
Technicians should normally be available for up to two hours of overtime after the basic day where notified no later than one hour before the end of the basic day. Further overtime is voluntary. Overtime is charged in 30-minute increments and paid at the stated role rate until six overtime hours have been worked or midnight is reached, after which 3T applies.
4. Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays
Saturday work is paid at 1.5T, Sunday work at 2T and statutory holiday work at 2.5T. In each case, a minimum eight-hour call applies unless more favourable written terms have been agreed.
5. Night work
Night work is work scheduled to continue beyond midnight. The minimum call is eight hours. For a single Monday-to-Friday night, the first eight hours are paid at 1.5T and hours beyond eight at 3T, plus one paid eight-hour rest day at 1T.
For consecutive night work, rest-day arrangements and premiums will be confirmed in writing and will be no less favourable than the applicable Bectu guidance used as the basis for this rate card.
6. Rest breaks
Lee Lighting Services Ltd recommends at least 12 hours between personal wrap and the next personal call. The statutory minimum is normally 11 hours. Where an agreed turnaround is reduced below 11 hours, each lost hour or part-hour is paid at the applicable overtime rate. This does not limit a technician’s right to refuse unsafe working.
7. Meal breaks
The first one-hour meal break should be provided no later than 5.5 hours after call. A second meal break should be provided no later than 5.5 hours after the end of the first.
Delayed, shortened or missed breaks are compensated at the applicable overtime rate for the time affected. Any agreed missed-meal allowance is payable in addition.
8. Travel, vehicles and equipment collection
Travel-only days are paid at 1T for all travel hours, with a minimum of eight hours.
On a combined work and travel day, travel is paid at 1T less the first hour of the outward and return journeys, unless the booking confirmation states more favourable base-to-base terms. Where work continues more than 4.5 hours beyond the basic day or after midnight, all return travel is paid at the applicable overtime rate.
Where a technician is instructed to collect or deliver personnel, vehicles or equipment, that time forms part of the paid working day. Approved use of a private vehicle is reimbursed at 51p per mile unless another rate is agreed in writing.
9. Duties and professional standards
Technicians must perform their role with reasonable skill and care, follow lawful and reasonable instructions, protect production and company property, maintain professional conduct, and accurately report working time, expenses, damage, faults and safety concerns. A technician may not delegate or substitute another person without prior written approval.
10. Competence and electrical safety
Technicians must only undertake tasks for which they are trained, competent and, where required, certified. Electrical distribution, temporary power, rigging interfaces, work at height and operation of access equipment must be carried out in accordance with applicable law, risk assessments, method statements, manufacturer instructions and Lee Lighting Services Ltd procedures.
11. Health and safety
Lee Lighting Services Ltd and the production expect all parties to comply with their statutory health and safety duties. Technicians must cooperate with risk assessments, toolbox talks and control measures, use suitable PPE, and stop and report work they reasonably believe presents a serious or imminent danger. Fatigue, unsafe turnarounds and defective equipment must be reported immediately.
12. Insurance
The engaging entity must maintain legally required Employers’ Liability Insurance where applicable. Technicians who trade through their own business must maintain any insurance reasonably required by the booking, including public liability and, where relevant, professional or motor insurance. For overseas or hazardous work, appropriate production, medical and travel insurance must be confirmed before travel.
13. Cancellation fees
- Cancellation six to four days before the engagement: 50% of the agreed fee.
- Cancellation three to two days before the engagement: 75% of the agreed fee.
- Cancellation less than 48 hours before the confirmed call time: 100% of the agreed fee.
Any non-refundable travel, accommodation, permits, purchases or other authorised costs remain payable in full. Cancellation of a multi-day booking is assessed separately for each affected day unless agreed otherwise in writing.
14. Timesheets, invoices and payment
Technicians must submit an approved timesheet and valid invoice promptly after the engagement. Correctly submitted and undisputed invoices will be paid within seven days of receipt, unless a more favourable project-specific term has been agreed in writing. Any disputed amount will be identified promptly and undisputed amounts will not be withheld.
15. Expenses
Only reasonable, necessary and authorised expenses are reimbursable. Receipts must be supplied. Parking penalties, traffic offences and personal expenses are not reimbursable unless caused directly by a documented production instruction and accepted in writing.
16. Confidentiality and publicity
Technicians must keep confidential all non-public information concerning productions, clients, talent, locations, security, schedules, designs, budgets and equipment. Photographs, recordings, social-media posts, credits or publicity may not be published without written permission. Any separate NDA or client security terms form part of the engagement.
17. Data protection
Personal data will be processed for booking, payroll, accounting, insurance, safety and legal administration. Technicians must handle call sheets, contact details and production data securely and report any loss or unauthorised disclosure immediately.
18. Employment status and tax
Each engagement is assessed according to its actual facts and applicable law. These terms do not by themselves create employment, worker, agency or partnership status. Lee Lighting Services Ltd may apply PAYE, pension auto-enrolment, holiday pay or other statutory treatment where required. Technicians remain responsible for their own tax and National Insurance where genuinely self-employed.
19. Governing law and disputes
These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. The parties should first try to resolve disputes promptly and in good faith. Nothing in these terms removes any statutory right or prevents either party from seeking legal or tribunal remedies.
20. Priority of terms
A written booking confirmation, purchase order, collective agreement or project-specific deal memo may vary these terms. Where provisions conflict, the more specific written project term applies, except that no variation may remove a statutory right or require unsafe or unlawful working.
Important: This is a Lee Lighting Services Ltd company rate card. The monetary figures are based on the Bectu Lighting Technicians Branch / APA commercial rates effective from 1 September 2025. The working-practice terms are adapted from Bectu industry guidance. This document is not presented as a separate collective agreement or as a Bectu endorsement of Lee Lighting Services Ltd.
