FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The results of the 2020 #PayUpHollywood survey are here. Read the full press release here: https://lizalps.medium.com/the-2020-payuphollywood-survey-results-are-here-3e5c6be8744f

Among the data we collected:
79.11% of respondents reported making $50,000 or less in 2020, a 14.70% increase from 2019. (1/?)

35.11% reported making less than $30,000 in 2020.  A minimum annual income of $53,600 is required to not be considered “cost-burdened” in Los Angeles (ie, spending more than 30% of one’s income on rent.)

(source: https://mf.freddiemac.com/docs/rental_burden_by_metro.pdf) (2/?)

Over 50% of respondents working from home reported shouldering office expenses previously covered by companies. 58.67% of those respondents were not offered any kind of compensation for the additional expenses. (3/?)

76.62% of respondents identified as white, a 1.59% decrease from the 2019 survey. Latinx was the only ethnicity group to surpass 10% of the total at 10.44%. Only 6.05% respondents identified as being a Person with Disabilities. (4/?)

Hollywood has professed to making inclusion and diversity initiatives paramount in the current landscape. That MUST start with PAYING A LIVING WAGE.

If underrepresented groups can't afford to take the first step onto a ladder, they can't afford the rest of the climb. (5/?)

Companies that commit to hiring diverse but won't pay a living wage are only paying lip service to the cause.

Saying like, "It's a privilege to work here" or "You're paying your dues" are gaslighting terms used to make support staffers devalue themselves and their work. (6/?)

This year, we created an infographic with some of the most relevant data, including the financial and mental effects of the Covid-19 shutdown on support staff. You can download
the infographic here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10movS-DYGCxXdFf0daf1XnVSAmv2bWH4/view?usp=sharing (7/?)

(8/?)

So what can you do to help current support staffers? We've listed some recommendations for all companies to begin implementing, but the real answer is this:

Ask support staffers what they need. Open up the dialogue. Send out your own survey. Fight on their behalf. (9/?)

There are amazing leaders who have gone to the mat for their support staffers, even when the studios and companies refuse to give an inch. We share this data to pair with the anecdotal evidence of wage stagnation or workplace intimidation to help others with the fight. (10/?)

We're asked about what a living wage in LA would be considered. $53,600 is the min. in LA need to not be cost-burdened. Nearly 80% of support staffers don't make that. Entry-level first timers should be on track to make that amount, with experienced workers making more. (11/?)

All companies should commit to automatic raises of 3% yearly for support staffers to keep up with the cost of living. The thousands of dollars workers have lost because their wages did not keep up with the cost of living is crazy (thank you @MeganaRao for discovering this).(12/?)

Lastly - 77.94% participants reported suffering from anxiety in 2020. Yes, Covid-19 has been rough on all of us -- but it's been especially hard for those who can't afford a sick day, much less month-long shutdowns and sudden layoffs. (13/?)

To those support staffers who need mental health resources, I strongly encourage you to check out the @TheActorsFund, who can provide info on such resources. To everyone else -- please just check in on your support staff friends, if you can. (14/?)

And if any LA-based support staffers are in need of financial assistance, the Hollywood Support Staff Relief Fund, distributed through @TheActorsFund, is still open. Check out their website for information on how to apply. (15/15)