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The group, created with big-name stars and much
fanfare in January 2018, gave employees no clear guidance about
their work and was seen as too close to Hollywood and Democratic
politicians, said the report by an outside consultant. Time's Up
commissioned the study following public criticism.
The structure, strategy and staff of Time's Up will be "rebuilt
from the ground up," the group said in a statement. Interim
Chief Executive Monifa Bandele will step down at year's end.
"This is a needed reset, not a retreat," board Chair Gabrielle
Sulzberger said.
Of 25 current employees, three will remain on a transition team
to help create "a more focused, transparent, and inclusive
organization," the statement said.
"Even our toughest critics believe that a strong Time's Up is
necessary and makes all of our efforts more powerful,"
Sulzberger said.
Time's Up was supported by Hollywood stars including Reese
Witherspoon, Kerry Washington and Ashley Judd. Judd was one of
more than 90 women who accused producer Harvey Weinstein of
sexual misconduct. Weinstein, who denied non-consensual sex, is
now serving a 23-year sentence for rape.
The group spoke out about abuses by high-profile men in media
and entertainment and pledged to help women in all workplaces.
Leaders were criticized, however, for advising New York former
Governor Andrew Cuomo when he was accused of sexual harassment,
and chief executive Tina Tchen resigned last August. Cuomo has
denied misconduct.
The consultant's report found the organization had grown rapidly
from its initial mission.
Among 85 people interviewed, one person was quoted saying: "I
don’t know what we do, and I really should."
Some questioned if the organization had effectively brought
attention to the workplace risks and poor treatment faced by
women healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Others
were unhappy at inconsistent standards in highlighting
wrongdoing across political party lines.
"Time's Up has been negatively impacted by a perception of
Democratic partisanship,” the report said.
Some also questioned why Time's Up became involved in racial
justice issues, specifically its criticism of the Hollywood
Foreign Press Association, the organizer of the Golden Globes
awards, for having no Black journalists.
Internal communications were "often fragmented and
inconsistent," the report added, noting that Time’s Up had had
three different CEOs in its short history.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Jill Serjeant; Editing by
Richard Chang and Leslie Adler)
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