New report calls on businesses and government to do more for creative workers

A new review of job quality in the creative industries by the Creative Industries Policy & Evidence Centre has called on businesses and the government to do more for creative workers.

The Good Work Review: Job Quality in the Creative Industries, co-funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, found that while there is higher job satisfaction among creative industry workers than for the economy as a whole, pay can be low, hours long and “the lack of representation of diverse talent is more pronounced in the creative industries than in many other parts of the UK economy".

The year-long review including evidence from 120 creative industry sector organisations found that quality varies considerably depending on age, ethnicity, disability and class, and that across 40 indicators of what makes work "good" — including fair pay, flexible working, paid overtime and employee representation — no creative sub-sector is currently  thriving in all areas.

As a result, it calls on industry, government and wider stakeholders to advance what it calls “Good Work” for all creative workers. The recommendations cover four areas: creative workforce protection, improvement in management practices, better access to skills training and professional development and improved worker representation and voice.

The review also calls for the industry to urgently address persistent and pronounced disparities in access and the quality of work for those from underrepresented backgrounds and for more protection, support and training opportunities for creative freelancers.

Creative Industries Minister Julia Lopez said: "Our creative industries are booming, with jobs in sectors such as film, fashion, music and video games growing at five times the rate of the rest of the economy. This first-of-its-kind review raises important issues facing the industry along with recommendations to ensure creative work is good work. We will be working with colleagues across government and industry to address the proposals in our forthcoming Creative Industries Sector Vision."

Heather Carey, co-director of Work Advance, who led the research, commented: “The ‘Good Work Review’ represents a huge opportunity for government and industry to back the creative industry workforce, and act as a trailblazer by advancing strategies to improve job quality in the creative industries in each of the four UK nations. There is growing evidence of the productivity and performance benefits associated with good management and workplace practices. We’ve set out 16 recommendations which, if adopted, will bolster the sector for a generation.” All of the recommendations can be found here.

Earlier this year, a House of Lords report slammed the government’s "incoherent" and "complacent" approach to the creative industries.