***SUNDAY CALENDAR STORY FOR APRIL 7, 2013. DO NOT USE PRIOR TO PUBLICATION**********BURBANK, CA - APRIL 2, 2013: Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres sits in her Warner Bros. studio dressing room April 2 2013 in Burbank. DeGeneres' appeal is enormous in her 10th year as a syndicated talk host. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’ Crew Criticize Producers for Poor Treatment during Pandemic

Producers of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, as well as the host herself, have reportedly received backlash from employees due to their treatment of crew during the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Variety, the core stage crew for the show, which consists of more than 30 employees, have received no written communication about their status of their working hours and pay. Two anonymous sources contend that producers have also asked neither about their mental nor physical health during the outbreak.

When DeGeneres announced she would resume filming the show from her California home, she said it was for “my staff and crew. I love them, I miss them, the best thing I can do to support them is to keep the show on the air,” according to NBC News.

However, when production executives did communicate, crew members were told to brace for a 60 percent reduction in pay, even though the show will continue to air. Reportedly, only four crew members are currently working on the remote version.

The show also hired an outside, non-union tech company to help DeGeneres build sets for her home so she could tape the show remotely.

A spokesperson for production company Warner Brothers told NBC News that because of social distancing requirements, “technical changes in the way the show is produced had to be made to comply with city ordinances and public health protocols.”