Verve Talent and Literary Agency has given its assistants and mailroom staff a 25 to 40 percent raise in response to the #PayUpHollywood movement.
In an email sent to the company on Monday, the agency’s partners announced that the new hourly rates will be $17.50 for mailroom staff, $18.50 for assistants, and $20 for “experienced assistants.” The raises, which go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020, will impact at least 30 assistants and a pool of 10 mailroom/floater employees, a Verve spokesperson told The Wrap.
The changes come after an internal survey that the agency conducted last month in direct response to the #PayUpHollywood movement.
“At Verve, our mission is to listen to our clients and share their voice in the creative community. Today, we are listening to you,” the agency’s partners wrote in an email to staff. “Based on your input, we are excited to announce a series of changes designed to recognize your valuable work contributions while helping you meet the financial standard necessary to live in today’s Los Angeles.”
Verve has also shortened its working hours based on survey responses. Instead of operating from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., the partners said in their email that the new hours will span from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Employees working outside of those hours will still continue to receive overtime pay.