Why HR are in the Writers’ Room?

Written by @Tacita Small

Photo by Brad Neathery on Unsplash

You might not know this, but having HR in the writers’ room is actually a thing and no, it’s not about censoring punchlines or dulling anyone’s creative spark. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. 

As storytelling pushes boundaries and explores increasingly complex, nuanced and sensitive subjects, many productions – particularly in television, streaming and theatre are realising that creative brilliance needs a foundation of psychological safety. That’s where HR comes in. 

Not to keep tabs. Not to kill the vibe. But to help ensure that the room – the sacred space where ideas are formed, challenged and shaped – is one where people feel safe, heard and respected. Think of it as setting the tone behind the tone: keeping things human behind the humour, drama, and chaos that often accompanies bold storytelling. 

Let’s step back for a second. The writers’ room is often the beating heart of a production. It’s where the show’s voice is found, where story arcs are crafted, characters are developed, and themes are interrogated. It’s also where the bulk of emotional labour tends to happen – especially when the material touches on real-life trauma, systemic injustice, identity, or experiences rooted in marginalised perspectives. 

It’s a fast-paced, high-stakes environment full of creative tension – and that tension can be productive. But left unchecked, it can also become harmful. 

Writers' rooms are collaborative by nature, but they’re also deeply personal spaces. When you’re working on something as subjective and intimate as story, disagreements can escalate quickly. The stakes are high. And without support, power dynamics, unconscious bias, and interpersonal friction can derail the process entirely. 

Enter HR. Not clipboard-wielding compliance officers, but skilled, production-savvy people professionals who understand both the creative process and the challenges that come with it. 

Having HR or a people consultant in the room (or available to the room) offers a number of benefits, including: 

Protecting People Without Policing Them: Good HR doesn’t shut things down – it opens them up. We’re there to facilitate, not control. That means helping the room stay inclusive and respectful, even during difficult conversations. 

Creating a Culture of Safety: HR support helps showrunners and executive producers define the tone and expectations from the outset. We can help draft ground rules, lead onboarding briefings, and be a confidential point of contact for concerns. 

Supporting Emotional Labour: Writing stories that mirror painful real-world experiences can be emotionally taxing. HR support includes offering debriefing, space to pause, or simply acknowledging the emotional load. 

We’ve seen this work brilliantly across a range of productions: 

• A series focused on sexual violence brought in a trauma-informed HR consultant during the early scripting stages. 

• A young writers’ room tackling themes of race and class benefited from HR-led weekly check-ins. 

• A post-pandemic theatre production rebuilt trust and collaboration through HR support for hybrid teams. 

In all these examples, HR didn’t interrupt the creative process – it made it stronger. 

Bringing HR into the writers' room tends to be most impactful in: 

• Productions exploring trauma or social justice themes 

• First-time or emerging writer environments 

• Rooms with a mix of freelancers, full-time staff and creatives from different cultural backgrounds 

• Productions involving cross-departmental collaboration 

We get this question a lot, especially from showrunners and execs who fear they’ll be tiptoeing around “HR-approved” language or walking on eggshells. If your HR person is cramping your style, you’ve got the wrong HR person. 

Done well, HR in the creative space is about working with the flow of the room – not against it. It’s about understanding how to balance psychological safety with the freedom to push boundaries. We’re not there to rewrite jokes or sanitise dialogue. We’re there to help make sure everyone feels safe enough to say the bold thing in the first place. 

More and more major studios, streamers and theatre companies are recognising the value of this kind of support. Some are embedding dedicated HR roles into the writing and development phase. Others are partnering with external consultants who can provide bespoke support for the life of a production. 

If you’re a showrunner, executive producer, or commissioner looking to build a writers’ room that’s bold, creative and truly collaborative – we’d love to help. 

Our team brings a blend of production knowledge, HR expertise and cultural fluency to creative teams working across TV, film and theatre. Whether you want ongoing support, a one-off training, or just someone to help you get the room dynamics right – we’re here for it. 

Let’s talk about what support could look like in your writers’ room. Together, we can create the kind of environment where stories and people thrive.