Know your rights

Knowing your rights as a filmmaker, parent and/or carer can be extremely useful when speaking to your employer or organising a campaign or protest. Equally, it is important if you’re an employer to know your responsibilities and what you must provide for your employees, whether salaried, contract or freelance.

Check out our free checklists for employees, employers, and unions and guilds for comprehensive advice and actions on your rights at work.

Further reading & resources

The BFI has published Principles to tackle and prevent bullying and harassment in the screen industries: while these do not specifically address hiring and employment discrimination, they are a useful framework. They adhere to Acas’ definition of harassment that includes “pregnancy and maternity” as protected categories.

The UK’s current law includes:

• 2016 Childcare Act: makes provision about free childcare for young children of working parents
• 2014 Care Act: establishes a legal right to support for adult carers, assessed by local authorities
• Parental leave: only applies to eligible company employees, not self-employed/freelancers

Here are some useful resources and contacts to find out more on current legislation:

Acas (Advice, Consiliation and Arbitration Service): provides free and impartial information and advice to employers and employees on all aspects of workplace relations and employment law – here’s what they say about parents’ and carers’ rights at work, with lots of resources.

Carers Trust: a wide range of resources and information for anyone who works with carers, including details on carers’ rights at work.

Citizens Advice: Provide free confidential advice online or on the phone to anyone on their rights and responsibilities; they have information about parental rights at work on their site.

Creative Diversity Network have a a wealth of information, activity and advice from their members and across the industry, to inspire and support you to take action on diversity in your own organisation. This runs from making the case to measuring impact.

Employment Tribunals: An independent tribunal responsible in the UK for hearing claims from people think an employer or potential employer has treated them unlawfully.

Gingerbread: The leading charity working with single parent families. Supporting, advising and campaigning with single mums and dads to help them meet their family’s needs.

Media Parents: A website and organisation helping freelance working parents through a network that connects them with short term, regular hours, job share and part time jobs.

Pregnant Then Screwed: 54,000 women are forced out of their jobs due to pregnancy. This campaign is working to change that and to expose the injustice through a volunteer network in which you can anonymously share your story. You can call the Pregnant Then Screwed advice line on 0161 930 5300, Monday to Friday 9am – 6pm, or send an email.

Thinking Outside the Box: The Equalities and Human Rights Commission published this guide to supporting broadcasters committed to diversity it covers basic principles of equality law, and positive advice for employers on the adjustments and outreach needed to diversify their workforce.

Women Like Us: careers advice for women, helping you fit work around family life.

Working Families: a work-life balance organisation for parents, carers and their employers, includes a kite mark for flexible working, and a ‘families and work’ manifesto calling for a minister for childcare!