Let’s talk about MyConnext.
Early in my career, the camera rental company I worked for sent me out as an assistant camera person on my first major commercial series. It was the first time I earned more than $100 for a day’s work. The excitement of finally landing a big job was overwhelming. Additionally, this series of commercials featured two of my favorite athletes, one as the host and the other as a guest. Given what I am about to describe, I will not name names.
During a take, the host athlete’s mic pack fell from his belt and slid down his pants. He called “cut,” looked me straight in the eye, and said, “Honey, why don’t you reach down and get that for me?” He turned around, unzipped his pants, and waited for me to fish the mic pack out. I did not mic the athlete before shooting. I was a camera assistant.
The guest athlete was shocked. The Producer did nothing. The Sound Mixer quietly apologized and thanked me. No one could look me in the eyes. I was twenty-three years old. The excitement I’d felt was gone and what should have been a huge step in my career was overshadowed by what had just happened.
This wasn’t an isolated incident. It happened again on the next guest athlete’s shoot. That athlete defended me when the situation escalated, but word was sent back to the rental house, and I was no longer recommended for work as I had been.
I wish I could say this was the only time in my life I’ve dealt with harassment, micro-aggressions, and worse, but it’s not. These incidents were some of the milder situations I’ve faced. I also know that our members face situations like this, or even more extreme ones, every day.
That’s why I want to share the independent website, MyConnext. MyConnext helps users explore options when facing harassment, bullying, or any form of workplace abuse. MyConnext is an all-in-one online tool launched by the Hollywood Commission, serving as a resource center and reporting system for entertainment industry workers.
The Hollywood Commission is an organization that partners with twenty-six companies, unions & guilds, academies, and talent agencies to end harassment, discrimination, bullying, and abuse in the entertainment industry. MyConnext is their direct response to the concerns raised by more than 10,000 industry workers in a 2019-2020 survey conducted by the Hollywood Commission. In that survey, 95% of respondents voiced a desire for resources to help understand reporting, 94% supported the implementation of a helpline or hotline, and 93% wanted technology that could be used to create time-stamped records when reporting incidents.
As a result, MyConnext offers the following features:
- It provides anonymous reporting for users who prefer not to be identified via the website.
- It creates a time-stamped personal record of a user’s experience via QR code.
- It can answer questions about policies, procedures, and how to report through a safe and anonymous messaging function.
- It allows users to securely report workplace misconduct via the website, without identifying themselves.
- It will enable users to “Hold for Match,” a feature that records the report but does not file it until another user submits a matching report.
Additionally, the MyConnext website offers resources to help users explore options, including support groups, legal pathways, and more.
MyConnext Ombuds, Lillian Rivera, attended our General Membership Meeting on June 28 and introduced MyConnext to those in attendance. I recently met with Lillian to discuss key features and how our members can benefit from this tool.
Jillian: Lillian, thank you for attending our General Membership Meeting in June. I am following up on some of the topics you discussed. An ombuds is a neutral third party that addresses conflicts and concerns. Can you tell us more about the process as MyConnext Ombuds? How does one ensure their information is kept confidential and secure?
Lillian: Absolutely and thank you for the warm welcome. The reporting tool was developed as a data locker that ensures that only the user has access to their data. I don’t have access, IATSE doesn’t have access, the Hollywood Commission doesn’t have access, only the user has access. Within the Ombuds office, we ensure confidentiality by not documenting any visit and never disclosing who has visited our office.
Jillian: One of the unique features of MyConnext is the “Hold for Match” tool. How does it work, and why is it essential to collect this dataset? What role does Local 695 play in this process?
Lillian: “Hold for Match” was developed to prevent workers from having to report on their own. We know that abusers often do not limit their inappropriate behavior to one person, so this allows people who have had the same negative experience with an aggressor to report together. The “Hold for Match” feature allows a worker to enter their report into a pending status until another report on the same aggressor is submitted. Then the reports are released together, and the workers are notified individually. They will know that someone else has submitted a report on the same person, but they will not know the identity of the other person submitting a report.
Jillian: What organizations participate in MyConnext, and why is it essential that employers also participate in this tool?
Lillian: Along with IATSE, we have DGA, WGAW, Netflix, Amazon, and Kennedy-Marshall providing access to their workers. It is important that employers provide access to this tool because sometimes workers do not want to use their identity when they are sharing their experiences. It is also important to point out that this tool is available to report all sorts of inappropriate behaviors, such as micro-aggressions or yelling at the crew. These are the types of behaviors that all workers experience and impact the culture of a set. The Hollywood Commission was established to address harassment on sets, as well as other behaviors that impact workers. We are here to support all workers regardless of gender because harassment, discrimination, and retaliation affect all of us.
Jillian: Is there anything you want to highlight for our members that we haven’t already discussed?
Lillian: As the Ombuds, I want members to know that if they are unsure about an interaction or are not sure if reporting is an option for them, they can visit the Ombuds to figure out what options are available to them. They are not alone in figuring out what they can do next. Having an experience like the one you have shared can isolate a person and I want members to know that they are not alone. The Ombuds will listen, provide resources, and most importantly, not judge their choices but support them to do what is best for them.
MyConnext might seem like a foreign concept to those in our industry. The key features may appear drastic or too severe, but the support material provides guidance on how to handle the small, daily micro-aggressions that can wear down industry workers. I wish 25-year-old Jillian had this resource to help her deal with a harassing football player from her past. I wish I had learned to process and address this situation more effectively than simply tucking it away and ignoring the person’s behavior, as I did. Twenty years later, I still remember these incidents when I see him on TV. I believe that having a stronger support system in my early career and being able to respond effectively to de-escalate situations would have been helpful.
For more information, please visit myconnext.org
President Jillian Arnold