Impact
editIn tandem with the #MeToo movement, the Time's Up movement and initiatives have had an impact on legal claims for sexual harassment and legislation focused on sexual harassment claims. There was a 13.6% increase in the number of sexual harassment claims filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 2018 compared with the previous year. Additionally, in 2017 and 2018 bills were introduced in 32 states that focused on how workplace sexual harassment claims should be handled; some prohibiting mandatory arbitration for such claims and others pushing for a different third-party method to resolve claims.[1] In New York, several bills were passed in 2019 due to Time's Up's advocacy, including one to increase legal protections for individuals who have been the subject of workplace sexual harassment and a bill to extend the the statute of limitations on second- and third-degree rape. In October, California passed three bills focused on workplace protections: AB 9 lengthened the time available to file a claim for harassment or discrimination; AB 749 prohibited clauses in settlement agreements preventing an employee being rehired in future by the employer the claim was filed against; and AB 51 banned employers from making employees sign mandatory arbitration agreements.[2]
Following the firing of then-CBS chief executive Les Moonves, Time's Up recommended that CBS donate part of his planned severance payment to advocacy organizations rather than paying it to him. The company donated a total of $20 million, including $2 million to Time's Up.[3]
The Time's Up organization's call for entertainment companies to be more equitable and diverse led to talent agencies and film studios committing to achieving measurable goals. In early 2018, seven studios including Universal and Warner Bros committed to hire a female director for a feature film during the following 18 months.[3] The talent agencies ICM Partners and Creative Artists Agency signed onto a pledge in 2018 to reach equal male and female leadership within 2 years,[4] and reported in 2019 that they had made progress to achieve the goal on time.[3] Additionally, Time's Up launched a campaign together with The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative specifically focused on encouraging studios to hire more women directors, called the 4% Challenge[5] which is named after the percentage of the top 1,200 movies in the last ten years that had women directors. Studios including Amazon, DreamWorks Animation, Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros., and Universal Pictures signed onto the challenge.[6]
In May 2018, the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund backed legal cases against McDonald's for sexual harassment in nine US cities. Additionally, Time's Up advocated for the women who had filed the cases with the EEOC, including by publishing an open letter to demand McDonald's take corporate action against harassment and retaliatory behavior taking place in its restaurants. In August 2019, the company announced it would address discrimination, harassment, and retaliation and it launched an initiative focused on employee engagement.[2]
During the 2020 election season in the US, the Time's Up organization launched a campaign called "We Have Her Back" that aimed to support female political candidates and pressure the media against using biased or sexist themes in their reporting.[7] The campaign included an open letter to the media with proposed guidelines on how to cover women and people of color, as well as a "war room" that Time's Up established to respond to biased information, inaccuracies, and misinformation about women candidates.[8]
In 2021, following an investigation into workplace sexual harassment within the Washington Football Team, Time's Up pressed the National Football League to release the findings to the public. Women who had spoken up to report the discriminatory practices at the organization were given legal support by the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund.[9]
Also in 2021, Time's Up led a campaign protesting against the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) due to concerns regarding the organization's unethical treatment of actors and lack of diversity. The campaign included a letter signed by 104 major public relations firms, demanding the HFPA make "profound and lasting change". The HFPA approved reforms to be implemented over an 18-month period. Until the reforms are complete, the PR firms, Netflix, Amazon, and Warner Media stated they would boycott HFPA events, and NBC decided not to telecast the 2022 Golden Globes Awards.[10]
References
edit- ^ McCullough, Kathleen (2019). "Mandatory Arbitration and Sexual Harassment Claims: #MeToo- and Time's Up-Inspired Action Against the Federal Arbitration Act". Fordham Law Review. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
- ^ a b Flynn, Caitlin (January 1, 2020). "TIME'S UP 2nd Anniversary Falls Just Before Harvey Weinstein's Trial, Symbolizing the Work to Come". Teen Vogue. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ a b c Buckley, Cara (February 20, 2019). "Time's Up a Year Later: Hollywood Women Test Their Clout". The New York Times. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
- ^ Buckley, Cara (January 1, 2018). "Powerful Hollywood Women Unveil Anti-Harassment Action Plan". New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
- ^ Constable, Harriet (November 29, 2019). "Powerful Hollywood Women Unveil Anti-Harassment Action Plan". BBC. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
- ^ Rosser, Michael (October 11, 2019). "Working Title, BFI, Lionsgate UK join Time's Up 4% challenge". Screen Daily. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
- ^ Saad, Nardine (August 12, 2020). "Why celebrities are declaring 'We have her back' about Kamala Harris". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ Burnett, Sarah; Seitz, Amanda (August 12, 2020). "'We Have Her Back': The war room blocking Kamala Harris' trolls". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ Byck, Daniella (February 5, 2021). "ACLU, TIME'S UP, and Others Call On NFL to Release Findings From Washington Football Team Sexual Harassment Investigation". Washingtonian. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
- ^ Feinberg, Scott (May 10, 2021). "Here's How The Time's Up Legal Defense Fund Actually Works". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 25, 2021.