Hollywood Commission Opens Key MyConnext Workplace Misconduct Resource To All Production Workers

EXCLUSIVE: The Hollywood Commission is expanding a key component of MyConnext, its workplace safety resource center and reporting system, to all entertainment industry workers for the first time.

The organization, led by Anita Hill, Cindy Holland, Alan Jenkins, Kathleen Kennedy, John Landgraf, and Nina Shaw, announced Thursday that the MyConnext Ombuds Office — a confidential platform that allows workers to speak with someone to ask questions, learn more about their rights, and explore their options — will now be open to all workers, from production assistants to department heads, regardless of their employer or union affiliation.

MyConnext initially launched last year as a way for film and television industry employees to navigate next steps when confronting harassment, bullying, or any type of workplace abuse. It was originally supported by DGA, IATSE, WGA West, Amazon MGM Studios, and Netflix. A few additional organizations have joined since, but access has been limited to those participating organizations for the first year.

“One year ago, we launched MyConnext with our participating organizations, and since then, their leadership and commitment to worker well-being have paved the way for this expansion,” Malia Arrington, executive director, the Hollywood Commission said in a statement. “In the year since launch, one of our most important discoveries has been what an invaluable resource the Ombuds has been, and what an opportunity it is to bring it to everyone. As the first-of-its-kind, industry-wide resource, the Ombuds is an industry-wide game changer.”

The MyConnext Ombuds service is not a reporting body. Rather, it is staffed with people who will provide free, neutral and independent guidance and support to help workers choose their next steps. The office provides a safe space to talk about an issue or concern, explores options to help resolve conflicts, and brings systemic concerns to the attention of the industry leaders for resolution while maintaining callers’ confidentiality.

Additionally, the Ombuds office provides information about the importance of record-keeping, explanations of how confidentiality and anonymity work, and what to expect from reporting processes.

Lillian Rivera, one of the MyConnext Ombuds, said: “Serving as the MyConnext Ombuds has been an eye-opening and profound experience. Hearing workers’ stories firsthand—often when they are at their most vulnerable and sensitive—and having the opportunity to help them figure out their paths forward is making a real difference in these individual lives. I think they appreciate that I’m a real person—not a phone tree of mysterious options, not a chatbot or AI. I’m excited to be bringing our office to all workers across the industry.”

Ombuds is just one service offered by MyConnext, which is an independent nonprofit corporation with its own management committee. Available to all workers, the MyConnext Resource Hub also includes other important guidance, like how to address & report concerns, mandatory arbitration & non-disclosure agreements, answers to frequently asked questions about workers’ rights and reporting options, helpful definitions, information on helplines, and more.

Members of participating organizations can also use MyConnext to create a timestamped personal record of their experience and securely report workplace misconduct — anonymously, if they so choose. Through its “hold for match” function, the platform allows workers to submit an anonymous report that is held securely, pending a second report by another user. When another person submits a report against the same individual – making a “match” – both reports are released to the users’ designated organization.

MyConnext marked the Hollywood Commission’s direct response to concerns raised by more than 10,000 industry workers in their 2019-20 survey, which were confirmed more recently by the 2022-23 survey. In the first, 95% of workers asked for resources to help them understand reporting; 94% asked for a helpline or hotline; and 93% asked for technology to create a timestamped record. In the 2022-23 survey, 90% of respondents asked for technology to create a timestamped record, and 92% said resources to better understand reporting would be helpful.