Ellen DeGeneres loses 1.1m viewers after toxic workplace allegations

If you're experiencing hostile working conditions, we also share resources and advice on how to tackle the issue

Ellen DeGeneres apologised to viewers and to the staff affected but has seen her show's ratings drop drastically.

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has seen her viewing figures almost halve since accusations emerged that her show was a toxic work environment.

In July, former employees told Buzzfeed they had experienced “racism, fear and intimidation”. They said they were fired after taking time off for medical leave or bereavement while a black former employee said she received racist comments from staff members.

In the first episode of the latest season of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, DeGeneres, 63, addressed accusations by former staff members that her show had a toxic workplace culture. Three top producers were fired and an internal investigation took place.

DeGeneres apologised to viewers and to the staff affected for things “that never should have happened” and she claimed responsibility for the situation.

“As you may have heard this summer, there were allegations of a toxic work environment at our show. And then there was an investigation,” she said.

“I learned that things happen here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously. And I want to say, I am so sorry to the people who were affected. 

I know that I’m in a position of privilege and power. And I realized that with that comes responsibility, and I take responsibility for what happens at my show. 

However, it seems her viewers are not so forgiving. The 18th season of the daytime talk show returned to the air in September and its opening episode, in which DeGeneres addressed the claims, had the show’s highest premiere ratings in four years. Despite the initial peak, DeGeneres has lost more than a million viewers since then.

According to research from Nielsen, The Ellen DeGeneres Show had an average 1.5 million viewers over the last six months, a significant drop from 2.6 million viewers in the same period last year. This 43% decline is a steeper drop than the show’s competitors experienced in the same time period.

Work-related stress caused by a toxic working environment can have a devastating impact on an employee’s health. In 2016 the ESRI found that 18% of workplace absences in Ireland were attributable to work-related stress, anxiety, and depression.

“The workplace profoundly affects human health and mortality, and too many workplaces are harmful to people’s health — people are literally dying for a paycheck,” wrote Jeffrey Pfeffer, professor of organisational behaviour at Stanford University Graduate School of Business, in his book Dying for a Paycheck.

Employers have a duty to ensure the health and safety of their employees in the workplace. Under section 8 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, your employer is required to “prevent any improper conduct or behaviour likely to put the safety, health and welfare of employees at risk”.

The Health and Safety Authority provides information and advice on workplace bullying here and the Workplace Relations Commission offers a mediation service] to help resolve issues informally.

Have you experienced a toxic workplace? Share your story with us through the form below (or click here if the form does not appear).