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If somehow you still dreamed of a day working on the Ellen Degeneres Show, you may want to reconsider. Thursday July 16 Buzzfeed News published a detailed report on the “toxic work culture” perpetuated by Ellen Degeneres and her executive producers. 10 former employees and one current Ellen The employee was registered anonymously, fearing retaliation from Ellen and the industry in general, describing a work environment full of “racism, fear and intimidation.” In the report, employees claimed they were fired for taking days of grief and medical leave, they were ordered to remove GoFundMe pages they started to pay for medical bills not covered by the health insurance they received from the program, and He ordered them not to speak to them. Ellen did see her in the office.
“That ‘being nice’ shit only happens when the cameras are on. Everything is for show, ”said a former employee. “I know they give people money and help them, but it is to show.” A black woman who worked for Ellen for a year and a half she said she experienced “racist comments, actions, and microaggressions,” recalling a time when a writer claimed not to know who she was because “they only know the names of the white people who work here” as well as a time when a senior producer told her and another black employee, “oh wow, they both have box braids; I hope I’m not confusing you. When she spoke about the discrimination, her colleagues began to distance themselves from her and referred to her as” the police of the PC. “
While nothing positive was said about the dance comedian, most of the anger went to Ellen’s executive producers and other top managers, who were reportedly most directly responsible for the “everyday toxicity ” Executive producers Andy Lassner, Ed Galvin and Mary Connelly responded to the report with the following mea culpa:
“Over the course of nearly two decades, 3,000 episodes and employing more than 1,000 staff members, we have strived to create an open, safe and inclusive work environment. We are truly heartbroken and sorry to hear that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience. It is not who we are and it is not what we strive to be, and it is not the mission that Ellen has set for us. For the record, the day-to-day responsibility for the Ellen show rests entirely with us. We take all of this very seriously and realize that as many of the world are learning, that we need to improve, we are committed to improving, and we will do better. ”
Some former employees claimed that those who submitted to the toxic work environment and did not speak received benefits including new iPhones, JetBlue gift cards and other loot that the program keeps from its sponsors. “We all have a kind of ‘this is not normal’ feeling about how people are treated there,” said a former employee. “And there is this entrance through the door. Or your contract isn’t renewed the moment you ruffle someone’s feathers. Or you don’t show that you are extremely grateful and grateful for working there. ”
