ICM Partners, the agency famous for repping clients such as Spike Lee and Bob Saget, announced this week that they will make major changes to their staff in accordance with the coronavirus pandemic and recent nationwide social issues, per Deadline. In doing this, they will lay off 40 of their assistants, raise salaries to $20 an hour, and aim to hire new candidates at a 50% diversity rate. 

On Zoom, co-presidents Kevin Crotty and Sloan Harrison told those terminated that they would be given three months of health benefits within a commendable severance package. Because of the virus, ICM and other major agencies have had less of a need for a larger staff, and have been making efforts to cut their numbers down. This is also needed in order to enforce more effective social-distancing rules as people gradually get back to in-person work.  

The assistants staying with the agency will now be receiving a minimum salary of 20$ an hour, which is “believed to be the highest among talent agencies.” 

ICM is also working to creating a more diverse staff of “candidates of all races as well as the LGBTQ+ community…” In doing this, they will aim to have at least half of their new job openings go to diverse candidates. This is a step forward in attempting to further diversify the entertainment industry and offer equal chances to those who have traditionally had less of an opportunity working in it. 

These are the first moves of the sort that ICM has made since the pandemic started in early March.