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- UK economic outlook – forecasts downgraded – what this means for freelancers | Bectu Freelance Research on Understanding commuting costs – some bookmarks
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Category Archives: Work-life balance
Bectu ‘Live to Work’ campaign launched
Bectu has launched the Live to Work campaign aimed at improving terms and conditions in the UK TV drama industry. You can visit the campaign page here and join the network (open to members and non-members), download images to use … Continue reading
Understanding commuting costs – some bookmarks
For freelancers working either in film and TV, or in Live Events, there is often no option to use public transport to get to work. For a typical filming day, Bectu members tell us that they tend to arrive at … Continue reading
The Flexibility Paradox
The TUC and Working Families are hosting a launch for a book called The Flexibility Paradox by Dr Heejung Chung on Wednesday 20 April at 1400. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, flexible working has become the norm for many workers. But … Continue reading
Fatigue in the TV and film industy
There’s a useful summary of this issue on the IOSH magazine website here. It’s got a lot of the kind of thing you’d expect (including a quote from our own Spencer MacDonald). And this: “Research says that when an employee … Continue reading
Bectu Mental Health and Welbeing Policy published
This was an idea that came from Bectu members during the pandemic. We did a load of online sessions discussing different aspects of the question “what is wrong with ‘the freelance deal’?” and there was a repeated refrain saying “our … Continue reading
Posted in Feature film data, Film & TV industry data, Film & TV industry policy, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Health & Safety, High End TV data, Long hours, Management, Mental Health, Safe working practices, Safe working standards, Wellbeing, Work-life balance
Tagged Bectu Mental Health and Welbeing Policy
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Looking Glass ’21 report
The Film and TV Charity have published their Looking Glass ’21 report. This is a follow-up from their research in 2019 into working conditions in the film and TV industry, and how these impact workers based on responses from more … Continue reading
What do employers need to do to retain talent?
It’s something of a recurring theme from the Pensions & Investment Research Consultants (PIRC), but all of the research (including their own work with Autonomy and Survation – [pdf]) point to a need to pay people better, treat them with … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Employment, Employment Law and Rights, Long hours, Low pay, Management, Mental Health, Productivity, Wellbeing, Work-life balance
Tagged Job retention, PIRC
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Working terms in Swedish productions
It’s always worth looking at how other countries do work hours in the film and TV industry, and it is a commonplace view that the Swedish drama sector manages a high quality of production on working hours that also give … Continue reading
Posted in Bectu Agreements, Employment Law and Rights, EU & Brexit, Factual & Entertainment sector data, Feature film data, Film & TV industry data, Health & Safety, High End TV data, Long hours, Major Motion Picture Agreement, Productivity, SVoD, Tax incentives, Trades Unions, TV Drama Agreement, Work-life balance
Tagged Eyes Half Shut, Scen and Film, Sweden
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BEIS consultation on flexible working
The BEIS is currently consulting on flexible working – “Making Flexible Working the Default” – here [pdf]. “This consultation includes a set of proposals which are built around the principle that working arrangements are best decided through a constructive, open-minded … Continue reading
IATSE ballot begins on Friday
The IATSE website is reporting that the Contract Ratification Vote will begin Nov. 12, with results expected on the 15th of November. The deal is outlined here. A 49-page memorandum of agreement (MOA) has been circulated. It summarizes in greater … Continue reading
Surprising-yet-unsurprising news about people thinking of leaving their jobs
The most surprising-yet-unsurprising nugget here is that “…the majority of those considering quitting had been offered no incentives to stay by their employers.” 📰📰NEW STUDY: How to Solve the Labour Market Crisis by Raising Standards Labour shortages are a principal … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Employment, Inflation, Long hours, Low pay, Mental Health, Pay & inflation, The working environment, Wellbeing, Work-life balance
Tagged Autonomy, PIRC
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Skills shortage update – Production Accountants
There appears to be a particularly large skills-gap in the area of Production Accountancy with the supply of labour not matching demand. This appears to have been caused, at least in part, due to people leaving the industry for more … Continue reading
Comprehensive European figures on women’s representation in TV drama
Women still under-represented in the #TVfiction industry in Europe🚺Find out more in our report ➡ https://t.co/hjdMgTDNP4 #womeninfilm #diversitymatters #womendirectors #genderequity pic.twitter.com/hqMu7fHIw6 — Europ AV Observatory (@EuAvObservatory) October 20, 2021 The key insights contained in the report are that, beyond obvious … Continue reading
Flexible working – Arup explore the seven-day week
From Arup’s website: “Arup, the employee-owned global engineering and design firm, has today announced it is adopting an innovative hybrid model – known as Work Unbound – that will give its 15,500 employees, known as members, greater flexibility in deciding … Continue reading
Shift-working and disrupted patterns of rest – a research round-up
Thanks to Siobhan Wray, an Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour at Lincoln University for a useful roundup of research resources on this, including…. A systematic review of shift work and nurses’ health: This – ‘Working Time Society consensus statements: Evidence-based … Continue reading
Global survey highlights long-hours work problem
A long-planned piece of joint-campaigning with Uni-Mei (the global federation of unions that BECTU is a member of, alongside IATSE and many others) on long-hours working has happened at a very fortuitous time. Read more about the joint research that … Continue reading
Highway Code updated – new penalties for being too tired to drive
Every UK driver could face ‘unlimited fines’ under new sleeping law. (Manchester Evening News) This should be of interest to all Bectu members working in production, as well as being useful evidence in support of the campaign we are running … Continue reading
IATSE go back into talks with AMPTP following overwhelming strike mandate
Following the overwhelming support given to a strike ballot, and a slew of pressure from Californian and New York politicos, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) are now headed back into talks with The Alliance of Motion Picture … Continue reading
Homeworking will help improve women’s careers
The option to work from home is likely to help employers retain valuable workers, and can make the balance of work and childcare a lot easier to manage. It is likely to result in more ‘returners’ after periods of maternity … Continue reading
Long hours working in film and TV – landmark article
I’ve just stumbled on a 2012 article by Gavin Polone that I read while writing the Eyes Half Shut report – one that (for reasons that escape me – probably an oversight) I didn’t reference at the time. The Unglamorous, … Continue reading
£1.2m annual Netflix training ‘war chest’ and other scripted TV training developments
As referenced in the Guardian article a few days ago, here’s more detail on this Netflix training budget, from Broadcast [£]. Quoting ex-Production Guild chief Alison Small (now working directly for ‘Grow Creative UK’ / Netflix) on training: “If we … Continue reading
DNEG to pay overtime
A major UK VFX facility has finally broken ranks and agreed to pay overtime rates for all work recorded over 40 hours in a week. “Beginning in October, we will pay overtime at 1.5x rate for any incremental time that … Continue reading
Benefits of collective bargaining – more paid holiday
From an ETUC (European TUC) press release: “Workers who benefit from collective bargaining enjoy up to two weeks extra paid holiday per year, an analysis of EU data for the ETUC has found as millions prepare to return to work … Continue reading
Posted in Employment Law and Rights, Long hours, Wellbeing, Work-life balance
Tagged Holiday pay
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Mental health and Covid19
There are many barometers of mental health that can be correlated with what is happening in the wider world, so it would not be appropriate to conclude that “the lockdown has generally, on balance, been good for the mental health … Continue reading
Posted in Coronavirus, Coronavirus, Remote working, Wellbeing, Work-life balance
Tagged Hybrid working, Mental health, Suicide, Wellbeing, Working from home
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44% of British employees want some form of hybrid working
Via Labour Research’s ‘Fact Service’, 44% of British employees want some form of hybrid working. From the Employee Benefits website… “The Health wealth and happiness study conducted by insurance business LifeSearch asked people about their ideal working set up. It … Continue reading
Posted in Remote working, Wellbeing, Work-life balance
Tagged Hybrid working, Working from home
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Sir Roger Deakins and others confront Hollywood over cinematographers’ long workdays
From the British Cinematographer website: “Hollywood cinematographers have signed a letter urging the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to address “the hazards of unsafe working hours” that have plagued the industry for decades.” Quoting from the Deadline … Continue reading
Posted in Long hours, Safe working practices, Wellbeing, Work-life balance
Tagged AMPTP, IATSE
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The Freelance Deal: 1. Employment Rights, Tax and Pensions
This is the first draft of the policy document that has been agreed by the Tax, Employment Rights and Pensions Working Group of London Production Division (LPD) on the 7th May 2020. It is a contribution to Bectu’s proposed ‘New … Continue reading
Posted in Employment Contracts, Employment Law and Rights, Employment status, Freelance working, Freelancer rights, Gig economy workers, IR35, Long hours, Management, Pensions, Personal Service Companies, Skills & capacity, Tax, Welfare and benefits, Wellbeing, Work-life balance
Tagged The Freelance Deal
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Iceland – shorter working week does not damage productivity
Forbes is reporting on a recent study (June 2021) of 2,500 workers in Iceland—more than 1% of the workforce—was conducted to see if shortened workdays lead to more productivity and a happier workforce. Autonomy’s summary of the results are that…. … Continue reading
Posted in Long hours, Management, Remote working, Wellbeing, Work-life balance, Workplaces
Tagged Hybrid working, Long hours working
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Best places to work in TV?
Broadcast does an awards thing – here. Looking after staff’s mental health, creating the right work-life balance, & making sure staff are treated fairly in terms of inclusivity and diversity are just some attributes that make up the best workplace. … Continue reading
More on the non-commute dividend
There’s a useful piece in the FT [£] about how losing the commute is increasing social capital for workers here along with the reset it is causing for the allocation of domestic duties (admittedly, the article tends to focus on … Continue reading
Posted in Long hours, Wellbeing, Work-life balance
Tagged Commuting, WFH, Working from home
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