UK’s TV workers exposed to ‘illegal or barely legal’ conditions and traumatic content | Television industry

“Illegal or barely legal” working practices are rife in the UK’s TV industry, new research has revealed.

Workers in post-production roles, including editors, designers and special effects artists, are regularly being paid below the minimum wage and experiencing “unacceptable” conditions, such as hours spent in dark, unventilated rooms and exposure to traumatic content with no warning.

A report from the TV Industry Human Rights Forum, conducted by independent human rights expert Amelia Knott, said the current slowdown in commissioning in the industry was exacerbating the issues, as there was less work and greater insecurity. The report said workers feel less able to challenge poor conditions, and are expected to do more work for less money.

One editor told the report they had been offered £800 for a project that would take two to three weeks – the equivalent of £8 an hour, at best.

Another interviewee recalled working 21 continuous hours to deal with client amendments, while another said they had worked unpaid weekends to meet a tight deadline. One worker said: “Everyone is working 15-plus hours a day. That’s two people’s jobs.” The report said the “time needed to complete post-production work is frequently underestimated” when planning and budgeting for a TV show, and that even if filming overruns or commissioners sign off footage late, post-production is still expected to meet the original deadline.

Emma Butt, a sound editor who was a post-production consultant for the research, said of commissioners: “They don’t realise the implications of their decisions on post-production workers.” She said commissioners could take immediate action to improve post-production timelines, adding that steps should also be taken on the issue of exposure to traumatic content.

While production staff on TV shows depicting themes such as murder, sexual assault and suicide usually receive advance warning that the content could be disturbing, post-production workers said this safeguard was not extended to them.

Butt worked on one project that depicted suicide and closely resembled an event she had experienced.

“I was presented with this job, our deadlines were tight, there was no option for me not to work on this because of the insecurity of payments and the unrealistic deadlines that had been placed on us, and there was no mental health support ­provided whatsoever,” she said. She suggests a watermark could be added to the start of episodes detailing upsetting themes, and that scripts could be provided to post-production teams in advance.

The research involved interviews with 28 people in post-production roles, as well as analysis of existing data, and was conducted in partnership with the Film and TV Charity.

The charity’s chief executive, Marcus Ryder, said: “We see the impact on individuals that poor working conditions and practices create – both in terms of significant mental health impacts, financial precarity and a wide-ranging effect on diversity in the industry.

“We urge all film and television media organisations to review their working practices, and those of third-party suppliers, when it comes to post-production, and we’d encourage them to act on the report’s recommendations.”