Ellen DeGeneres’s staff told ‘don’t be afraid’ as workplace improvements are announced

Staff of US talk show will be offered paid leave and better human resources interaction, report claims

Ellen DeGeneres’ TV show staff have been told “don’t be afraid”, in a company meeting in which they were offered new employment perks.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show is currently making improvements in its production, following an internal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, racism and workplace bullying behind the scenes.

DeGeneres herself was not implicated in the allegations, but admitted to “letting the ball drop a bit”.

In a new company Zoom call, it was confirmed that staff would receive five extra days of holiday to use at their discretion, along with permission to take off their birthdays, and paid leave for doctors appointments and family matters, according to Variety.

A human resources representative will also be available, and will not report to any senior management working on the series, allowing staff to speak with anonymity about grievances.

Also in the call, the show’s senior producers Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner told staff “don’t be afraid” and that open communication was to be encouraged moving forward.

In a previous Zoom call to staff, DeGeneres confirmed that three of her show’s top producers, Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman and Jonathan Norman, would be leaving the series.

Earlier this week (17 August), DeGeneres’s ex-girlfriend Anne Heche said that she had not spoken to the talk show host in years, but urged people to “listen” to those making complaints about a toxic workplace.