Bullying and harassment towards women is still rife within the creative industries, according to a survey that found seven out of 10 of its female workforce had experienced toxic behaviour.
The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, said the industry needed to take robust action following the “deeply concerning” findings.
The survey, undertaken by the Bectu union, found that 69% of women in the sector said they had directly experienced workplace bullying and harassment in the past 12 months. The figure rose to 72% for workers with disabilities.
It comes after a flurry of high-profile cases, including allegations against Gregg Wallace. The cases fuelled several attempts to improve behaviour in the sector, including a culture review at the BBC and the creation of an independent standards body.
However, the union’s survey of the creative industry workforce revealed that serious issues still persist, with many of those who encountered toxic behaviour not reporting it.
More than seven in 10 also said behaviours that would be considered toxic and inappropriate in public life were often tolerated within the creative industries, despite efforts to tackle it.
It increased to eight in 10 in the world of unscripted television, a sector that has been under financial stress as broadcasters have funnelled more money towards high-end drama. Insiders say freelance workers, already struggling for work, still feel nervous about putting their heads above the parapet.
Overall, 61% of creative workers said they had personally witnessed or experienced bullying or harassment in the workplace. More than 5,500 creative industry workers in non-performing roles were surveyed, from theatre to film and TV to fashion.
Big television production companies have made serious efforts to improve behaviour in an industry reliant on freelance workers. Anonymous hotlines and protections for whistleblowers have been introduced, alongside the industry-wide Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA).
However, many figures across the industry fear the issue is unresolvable because of the power imbalance between on-screen “talent”, senior staff and the freelance workforce. Only 55% of those who experienced bullying or harassment had reported the incident – and of those who did, 42% said the response was insufficient.
Meanwhile, there have been concerns about the long-term funding from some of the industry’s big players for CIISA. Some industry figures also have concerns about the body’s ability to investigate claims, given it has no legal powers.
Philippa Childs, the head of Bectu, said the ongoing issues experienced by people in the creative industry were “driving skilled workers out of the sector and leading to untold misery and exploitation”.
“Recent scandals are just the tip of the iceberg,” she said. “Behind these statistics are thousands of stories of often young freelance workers who live in fear because of the power and impunity of powerful men in the industry.
“We welcome recent initiatives to clean up the sector, but the voluntary funding commitments from employers while welcome are far from universal, and are indicative of the lack of seriousness with which many still view this issue.”
Some freelance workers are demanding stronger bullying protections in contracts and clearer processes for complaints. Some say they still do not know what to do if they are subjected to poor behaviour.
Nandy said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe, respected and protected in their workplace, whether that’s on stage, on set or behind the scenes. The figures reported in this survey are deeply concerning, and it’s vital that victims feel supported and empowered to speak out. Allegations of inappropriate behaviour must always be treated with the utmost seriousness.
“I expect the sector to take robust action to tackle these issues, including through strong, cross-industry backing for the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority.”
The government recently changed the law to stop non-disclosure agreements from being used to silence employees who have suffered harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Bectu says that change needs to be enforced in practice, given the pressure many workers face.
Jen Smith, the chief executive of CIISA, said long-term funding was still required to properly establish an independent body to provide “safe, confidential advice and a trusted route to report concerns”.
“CIISA receives no statutory funding and, in order to do our work unfettered, long-term financial commitment from industry is required,” she said.
