COVID-Safe Writers’ Rooms and Your Right to a Safe Workplace

27 January, 2022

During the past two years, the screenwriting community has, by necessity, seen a shift to writers’ rooms being conducted online. As some writers’ rooms return to an in-person format, the AWG has prepared a brief information sheet that contains current information relating to writers’ rights to a COVID-Safe workplace. This document will be regularly updated to reflect industry practice as the situation develops. All our industrial resources, including this document, are available for members to access here.

If you have any concerns about participating in an in-person writers’ room, we recommend that you request details of your employer’s COVID-Safe workplace policy. Each production company will have its own policy and this policy may or may not include a requirement for workers to be fully vaccinated before entering the business premises.

At minimum, you are entitled to:

• a workspace where all participants are able to socially distance (min 1.5 metres); 
• access to hand sanitiser; 
• access to well-stocked hand washing facilities; 
• request that people who are unwell or exhibiting COVID-like symptoms not be permitted to enter the room.

If you are being asked to participate in an unsafe writers’ room, please contact us at [email protected] for further advice. 

Know another writer who would benefit from these resources? Your Guild is here to support them and ensure their rights are protected. Share this information with them and let them know they can get industrial advice and access all our rates and contracts by joining here.