WGA: Reality TV Employees Are Getting Gypped
 Wednesday, April 9th, 2008

Image via GetTheShot

The Writers Guild of America - although it officially ended the strike - is still speaking out about the undercompensation of staffers and writers of reality television.  "Production companies should start treating reality and game show writers with the same respect other writers receive in the industry and provide them with industry standard benefits like health care, or the companies should pay the writers what they are owed under the California Labor Code," the WGA said.

Furthermore, they claim that only 43% of reality TV writers receive a meal break of at least 30 minutes, but 73% of them are reported to work through their meal breaks at least twice a week; 91% of them receive no overtime pay; 88% of them work more than 40 hours per week (an average of 16 hours extra, unpaid); only 5% of them were offered 401 k and only 1% a pension plan; and 86% of them were not offered health insurance.

FOX's American Idol and Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader, and ABC's American Inventor (which was taken down from ABC's website on 3/20/08, a possible confirmation that the show is kaput) are among shows under fire for allegations of unpaid overtime.  As a sidenote, the Idols Give Back thing was pretty well-timed, right?  It's not that we don't trust anyone, we just don't trust anyone.

It's good to know that the WGA is sticking up for these staffers - but this is not exactly a problem that is specific to the film, nor TV industry.  This is something that is happening all over America.  How many people do you know that work unpaid overtime?  In the European Union, the working week is limited to a maximum of 48 hours including overtime.  In the US, the standard work week is 40 hours, but some companies try to work around labor laws by classifying fulltime employees as part-time; making overtime "voluntary" yet mandatory; asking for timecards to be turned in early; and/or generally discouraging lunch breaks, sick days, etc.


You have rights under the law, to form a union to protect yourself, as well as to demand fair wages and working conditions.  Know your rights.

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