PAL Communication Program
The Personal Action Letter, or PAL has been designed to provide a confidential way for people who work in our Industry to bring a problem, concern, or opportunity to the attention of ACCP to assist in providing a resolution or at least a response.
While we always encourage you to talk directly and firstly to Managers and Production Company Owners responsible for your job satisfaction, we realize that there may be situations where, for whatever reason, you feel uncomfortable doing so. As a result, the idea behind the PAL program is to provide an additional means of communication on a confidential basis, should you feel that you have a problem that has not been resolved or a concern that you want to address directly to ACCP.
Over the years, ACCP and our member companies have had some great suggestions from various members of the commercial community. These ideas range from, improving the quality of our work, new technology ideas, safety improvements, and so on. We are confident that this new PAL system will further encourage and improve two-way communication and provide an effective way to respond to concerns quickly when they arise.
In our newly defined and expanded role, ACCP has been asked to facilitate this dynamic communication vehicle on behalf of ACCP Production Company Members. Michelle D’Ercole, who many of you know, will administer the program and will be referred to for this purpose as the PAL Coordinator.
Process:
- You write the PAL, which would be a letter on the PAL Form that highlights your question, concern or opinion. The PAL has to be in writing – it cannot be a phone call or raised in a conversation. You then e-mail the completed PAL Form to [email protected].
- Michelle will acknowledge receipt of the PAL within 3 business days.
- Based upon the nature of the PAL, Michelle will direct it to the appropriate person for handling. In the case of a general suggestion or inquiry, Michelle and/or a ACCP Director will usually respond directly to you. In the event your PAL is in respect of a specific member Company, with your permission, we will send a copy to the Executive Producer, Producer and/or Production Manager for a prompt response.
- The PAL Coordinator (Michelle) receives the response and communicates to you the suggested course of action. We have targeted 15 business days from receipt of your original letter as our standard response time to get back to you with the appropriate action.
- While the program has been structured to allow for both open and confidential communication, it is our recommendation that you sign your name to the PAL. If you are willing to provide your name, it makes it possible for us to try to find a direct solution for your concern or appropriate recognition for ideas that may have Industry-wide benefit. However, please be assured that you have the right to be anonymous and/or to apprise us of a matter in the strictest of confidence. Signed or unsigned, we will follow-up every PAL as best we can with the information provided.
- If you’re not satisfied with the response or the action taken specifically designed to remedy your concern, you are invited to call or speak to a ACCP Director personally and/or contact a member of the “Crew Advisory Team” who will be meeting or at least communicating with ACCP regularly to advance workplace issues and opportunities.
- Each quarter, we will summarize by category the nature of the letters for both the ACCP Board and the “Crew Advisory Team”. This summary is for the purpose of highlighting trends and where necessary, to implement policy changes. Be assured, we will never reveal names or personal circumstances.
The key to success for our Industry and for the production companies and crewmembers active in our Industry is open and effective communication. The PAL program, combined with town halls, surveys, one on ones, as well as a dynamic team process that responds to issues as they arise, will build a stronger Industry by continually improving workplace relations.
PAL Form
For prompt answers to your questions, complaints or opinions. Absolutely confidential. Only the PAL coordinator will know your name. It will not be released to anyone else unless you choose to discuss your subject with a qualified person by checking the box below. A reply will be sent to the address below.
*E-mail required for a response from ACCP