Why a new creative industry support line might be a lifeline for workers
The creative industry is still operating a system that favours the powerful, which can leave vulnerable workers exposed. A new initiative aims to give them a voice, Jess Lilley, co-founder of The Open Arms, explains.
The creative industry has no independent body supporting workers. No union. No tribunal. For years there’s been talk of a confidential helpline but nothing has ever come of it. Until now.
Enter the Creative Industry Support Line, born from the frustration Never Not Creative founder, Andy Wright, felt after hearing yet another story of harassment of a young advertising worker.
At a NNC board meeting he turned to Yasmin Naghavi (a partner at Media Arts Law) and asked: “Can we just do this?” Yasmin needed no convincing.
The result is a pilot collaboration between the two organisations that offers free, confidential legal advice to creative industry workers. An initial online inquiry is followed by a confidential discussion with a paralegal then a lawyer, with advice on next steps if required.
In our discussion about the support line Andy said: “I’m not that tuned into the whisper network. But I know people who are and I can see how necessary something like this is.”
In the most recent allegations of sexual harassment in Canberra, we heard about a whisper network among women in Parliament. Covertly trading the names of men who should be avoided, sharing details of offices and hallways that are unsafe, discussing leaders whose public performances of gender solidarity aren’t matched by their behaviours in the workplace, alerting each other to where the bullies lurk.
To say there was a ring of familiarity to it would be an understatement. In group chats, private messages, coffee catch ups, calls for advice, the whisper network most certainly exists in our industry too. Perhaps unsurprisingly given both have hierarchical systems, cultures of work/ life bleed and gendered power imbalances.
Perhaps it’s fitting then that the Creative Industry Support Line has launched with more of a whisper than a bang. You may think an industry that relentlessly elevates its star performers would respond enthusiastically to an initiative that empowers those people with their legal rights.
Alas, according to Andy, the response has been a little tepid.
But then this is also an industry that keeps a tight lid on its internal affairs, favouring reputation management over any kind of public reckoning with the negative aspects of its culture. It might hype its stars but it falls silent when it comes to acknowledging its abusers.
And yet, with its long hours, competitive culture, creative ambition, fast pace and monster deadlines — it asks a lot of its people. Which is why the support line is so necessary. And it’s already making ripples.
In our chat, Andy confirmed that inquiries are coming in.
To be clear, this initiative isn’t trying to take anyone down. It simply aims to give workers an understanding of their rights and legal options, with advice on whether a particular situation warrants further action. Like pretty much everything Never Not Creative sets out to do, it is designed to alleviate the mental health challenges and trauma that can arise from overwhelming and negative work situations.
Realistically, it couldn’t come at a better time.
In the ACA Create Space Census results released last year, 8% of women reported experiencing sexual harassment at work in the 12 months prior to the census date (a lot of which was spent in lockdown or working from home) while 20% of respondents reported they were likely to leave the industry owing to discrimination. A huge and alarming figure.
People from minority cultural backgrounds reported higher levels of microaggressions and discrimination, as did LGBTQ+ respondents and women. Worryingly but unsurprisingly, respondents were unlikely to report discriminatory behaviour to their employers — even in extreme cases. Only 51% were likely to report bullying, 58% verbal harassment and 68% physical harassment.
Instead, people leave their jobs. And the cycle continues.
Beyond the statistics, there is a real human cost to these and other exploitative behaviours. Having to go to work every day feeling unsafe is shattering. Discovering HR isn’t really there to support you when you need it most is gut wrenching. Knowing your employer is more likely to support the person doing you harm is devastating. Finding out your colleague who performs the same job is earning more than you is crushing. Feeling like you can’t say no to repeated unreasonable requests on your time is anxiety-inducing. And having no one to turn to for trusted and confidential advice in any of these situations is depressing.
So what happens in serious cases of harassment, bullying or discrimination at the moment?
Experiences differ. But even if a report is made and believed and considered damaging enough to warrant repercussions, more often than not an agency’s need for reputation management kicks in. Agreements are reached and NDA’s are signed. Perpetrators continue to bounce around the industry (often climbing the leadership ladder) without any systemic change. As do survivors. Or they leave altogether.
Who knows how many of its brightest people the industry has lost because it couldn’t or wouldn’t protect them from harm?
The whisper network continues.
There have been many excellent efforts from people within the creative industry to grapple with these challenges. The Aunties was established by a group of women as a mentoring and support network aimed at improving safety and solidarity. Only One In The Room launched to increase cultural diversity across the industry and to support workers of culturally diverse backgrounds. Assisterhood offers mentoring to underrepresented comms professionals. Never Not Creative’s Here, Now provides mentoring for people of colour, and their Asking For A Friend online Q&A’s provide professional advice in response to anonymous questions from people facing challenges at work. The Mavens launched as a comms platform to champion gender equality. Fck the Cupcakes aims to use creative communications to fight misogyny. And ShEqual is a movement for gender equality in advertising.
But when you are at work, alone and in the midst of a crisis, what you really need is to know your rights before you can make an informed choice about what to do next.
To have access to confidential, independent legal advice in a situation like this is huge. It’s the kind of thing I wish I could have called on more than once in my career.
The industry is still operating a system that favours the powerful. This initiative isn’t going to completely right the ship. But if it gives a little bit of agency to people who are feeling powerless and mistreated, it’s doing a very good thing.
If you need it, please don’t be afraid to use it.
Find out more about the support line.
Jess Lilley is the co-founder of The Open Arms.
