The code is billed as "a call to action" to the guild's 160,000 members, and it defines sexual harassment and other prohibited conduct in the workplace.


SAG-AFTRA on Saturday released a code of conduct as part of a larger program to protect its members and to confront harassment and advance equity in the workplace.


The code is billed as "a call to action" to the guild's 160,000 members, and it defines sexual harassment and other prohibited conduct in the workplace. It also sets forth employers’ legal obligations under both the union’s contracts and the law, including the need to provide ways in which members can safely report workplace harassment.


The code also puts forth the expectation that its members will not engage in harassing conduct.


“To truly change the culture we must be courageous and willing. At its most basic, this Code will ultimately help better define what harassment is, and what members’ rights are in real world situations,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris in a statement. “We are going further, however, with the launch of our Four Pillars of Change initiative to achieve safe workplaces and advance equity.”


According to the guild, the Four Pillars of Change to which Carteris is referring include sections on "Rules and Guidelines, Empowerment Through Education, Expanded Intervention efforts, and Building Bridges and Safety Nets."


“This initiative provides a critical framework for our collective efforts to further strengthen protections for SAG-AFTRA members who experience harassment in the workplace,” added SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director David White. “Our comprehensive approach ensures that we stay focused on providing members with clear information, making training available that is relevant and practical, and working with industry partners to expand our tools to intervene and support victims of workplace harassment and assault. We are very excited to engage in this effort.”


The group is also working on additional ways to provide "practical guidance in both work and non-work settings" where harassment is known to happen.


The entire code of conduct can be found here.


https://www.sagaftra.org/files/sag-aftra_code_of_conduct_final.pdf


The news comes after similar moves by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, who recently also approved new procedures for members to use to report workplace misconduct that violates its own code of conduct.