Women are twice as likely than men to report experiencing some form of bias and bullying while working in entertainment, according to two new reports from the Hollywood Commission, chaired by Anita Hill. The reports center on bias and bullying. They are the latest in a series of four reports released by the Commission in response to the #MeToo movement in Hollywood.
The reports are titled Hollywood Survey Report #2: Bias and Hollywood Survey Report #3: Abusive Conduct. They characterized bias as ranging from “outright denials of job or promotions based on a workers’ identity to comments suggesting a workers’ gender, race, ethnicity or disability renders them incapable of doing certain jobs.” Bullying is characterized by “intimidating or humiliating behaviors.”
“In Hollywood, bullying is condoned as part of ‘paying your dues’ on the way up,” said Hill in a statement. “Bullying may once have been an accepted norm, but in 2020 workers understand the harm that an environment rife with humiliating insults, 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 national, anonymous surveys were conducted online from November 2019 to February 2020. A total of 9,630 people—who self-identified that they were currently working, pursuing work, or had previously worked in the entertainment industry—responded to the survey.
The bias report found that overall, men had a more positive view on the industry’s commitment to diversity. Three out of four men (75%) see progress being made in welcoming and valuing diverse backgrounds compared to 63% of women. But overall, less than half of all respondents believe diversity and inclusion are seen as core values of the entertainment industry (49%).
Bias and discriminatory behavior affected women of color at higher rates than white workers counterparts. Thirty percent of bi-racial/multi-racial women reported being denied opportunities given to others in similar circumstances, compared to 16% of white women. In addition, 11% of Black or bi-racial/multi-racial women reported being told they were token hires—over three times as often as white women.
It’s not just race and gender. Individuals with a disability were roughly twice as likely to report all forms of biased or unfair behavior than people without a disability. And non-union members were roughly twice as likely to report experiencing all forms of biased or unfair behaviors.
The bullying report found that women were twice as likely as men to report experiencing abusive workplace conduct. Workers under 40 were more likely to report being bullied, and the same rate applied to workers with a disability and non-union workers. And among assistants, the reported rates of abuse were two to three times higher than the overall sample (this lines up with the #PayUpHollywood study, which also showed that assistants are also overworked and underpaid).
Though a majority of those who responded saw moderate to a lot of progress since the #MeToo movement, it varied based on age and gender identity. Those who were older and identified as men were more likely to see progress. Only 43% of executive assistants, jobs that skew majority female and younger, saw progress.
Said an anonymous respondent in the survey: “I know so many assistants who are in therapy and have diagnosed PTSD and anxiety disorder because of the abuse they endure on a daily basis.”
In response to these reports, the Hollywood Commission is launching a bystander intervention training program. According to its findings, whenever abuse has occured, a bystander was present 69% of the time. The bystander intervention program that will train workers on how to intervene if they witness a colleague being harassed. The Hollywood Commission is piloting bystander training with 450 entertainment workers.
The Commission will also launch some workshops around bullying, including how to identify and respond to it.
The Hollywood Commission released one report in September on accountability, which found that a majority of those who experience bullying and abuse are afraid of speaking up because they don’t believe anything will be done. The Hollywood Commission will release one more report in late October about progress since #MeToo with sexual harassment and assault.
The Hollywood Commission is a nonprofit that brings together Hollywood production companies and the unions to develop and implement cross-industry systems and processes to eradicate harassment, discrimination, and power abuse. Its partners include Amazon, Disney, CBS, Warner Bros, and SAG-AFTRA. It was founded by LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy and entertainment lawyer Nina Shaw.