Chaired by Anita Hill, the Hollywood Commission for Eliminating Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace was formed in 2017 with the aim of ending sexual harassment and bias in the entertainment industry. Now, the Commission has outlined Hollywood’s “entrenched and endemic issue” with bullying in its third report in the past two weeks.
Based on a survey of 9,630 people who self-identified as current, former, or aspiring workers in the entertainment industry, the latest report emphasizes that Hollywood’s problem with bullying is “exacerbated by the industry’s power imbalances.” Consequently, the report notes that women are twice as likely as men to report experiencing abusive behavior in the workplace, with female assistants under the age of 40 reporting instances of abuse at a rate two to three times higher than the overall sample. Non-union workers were also twice as likely to report bullying behavior while disabled workers were approximately twice as likely to report abuse compared to employees without disabilities.
Per the report, most of the people subjecting others to bullying behavior are supervisors. Furthermore, men make up 68% of those responsible for most of the abusive behavior. “In Hollywood, bullying is condoned as part of ‘paying your dues’ on the way up and has been openly displayed in films like 1994’s Swimming with Sharks and 2019’s The Assistant,” said Hill, before calling on Hollywood to change this mindset by treating employees properly. “Bullying may once have been an accepted norm, but in 2020 workers understand the harm an environment rife with humiliating insults and sarcasm, swearing and throwing objects in anger, causes. And belittling, vulgar and demeaning language and behavior is a gateway to sexual harassment and other abusive conduct. It’s time for Hollywood to commit to treating all workers with basic humanity and dignity.” The full report can be read here.
While 65% of overall respondents said they saw “moderate to a lot of progress” in the entertainment industry since the #MeToo movement started, only 59% of women reported seeing progress compared to 74% of men. Among the report’s many recommendations to the industry is the need for workers to insist on accountability. “Because abusive conduct is not illegal, many companies and productions do not prohibit it in their codes of conduct or policies – making it more difficult to hold bullies accountable for their conduct – even though California now requires certain employers to deliver training on the prevention of abusive conduct,” the report reads. The Commission also recommends strengthening and clarifying statements on bullying in codes of conduct, establishing policies and processes to address bullying complaints early as opposed to waiting until abusive behavior has been repeated, and forming a training program to address the issue of bystanders being present during 69% of abusive conduct.
Instances of abusive behavior in Hollywood recently made headlines with a lawsuit filed against Warner Bros by former Senior Vice President of Worldwide Theatrical Marketing, Susan Steen. In the suit, Steen alleges that her repeated reports on the toxic behavior of several male coworkers were brushed off by the company and that her complaints resulted in targeted harassment.
In fact, Warner Bros. was also embroiled in a case of abuse when Ray Fisher accused Joss Whedon of “gross” and “unprofessional” behavior during reshoots for Justice League. The allegations prompted Warner Bros. to launch a third-party investigation into Fisher’s claims, though the studio later claimed he was not cooperating with investigators.
Source: The Hollywood Survey Report #3 (via Deadline)
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