Being laid off can be stressful. Here we’ve compiled a list of resources to help you get back to work, including opportunities for skills training, ways to connect with your TAG kin, services to alleviate financial burdens, and more.
The Animation Guild Resources
- Layoff Contract Language
For information about required layoff notice and pay, go to Article 12.A.6 (p. 23) in the TAG contract.
- Dismissal Pay
If you find yourself laid off from a job at a Union studio, you may be entitled to Dismissal Pay. Learn more here.
Use this form to request Dismissal Pay from TSL/Disney.
Regarding vacation pay, if the studio pays out your vacation time each paycheck, you will not receive an additional vacation payout with final paycheck.
- "Call the Hall" When You Leave Your Job
Whether you are leaving your current job, informing the Guild of your current work situation is the first step to making sure the full benefits and protections of the contract are being enforced. Fill out this form to notify the Guild.
- TAG Availability Grid
Looking for work? Let TAG know. Fill out this form to share your availability and the kind of work you’re looking for.
- TAG Writers Staffing Grid
TAG’s Writers Craft Committee maintains a staffing grid for animation writers. Sign up here to share your availability and specialties. The grid is updated quarterly and distributed to showrunners, talent managers and executives.
- Join the TAG Discord Server
The Animation Guild Discord server has a #looking-for-job channel where you can share your availability. Email us to get an invitation link.
Please keep in mind that these servers are unofficial and are voluntarily ran by TAG Members. While members may share Guild-authorized information, this does not mean all information shared on Discord has been authorized. Any response received through these Discord channels is not authorized by the Guild.
If you need an answer to a question, please email membership@tag839.org or visit FAQs for answers to commonly asked questions.
- Additional Discord Groups
Animation Story Group
Request an invite here.Queer TAG
This is for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual + people who are trying to break into the animation industry. (This group is not for allies. Thank you for your understanding.) If you wish to join, please send your request to queertag@tag839.org.Please keep in mind that these servers are unofficial and are voluntarily ran by TAG Members. While members may share Guild-authorized information, this does not mean all information shared on Discord has been authorized. Any response received through these Discord channels is not authorized by the Guild.
If you need an answer to a question, please email membership@tag839.org or visit FAQs for answers to commonly asked questions.
- Join a Committee or Group
From specific crafts to TAG’s diverse communities, TAG Committees and Groups focus focus on particular needs within the Union. Joining a Committee or Group is a great way to connect with people in your area of expertise. You can find the list of Committees and Groups here. You can also read more about their work here.
- Sign Up for TAG Emails
When you join the TAG email list, you can receive the This Week at TAG newsletter, job postings, invitations to industry panels, and more. Sign up here.
- Honorable Withdrawal
While you are out of work, you have the option to put your membership on hold by taking an honorable withdrawal. Learn more on our FAQ page.
Understanding Benefits
- Your Health Insurance Bank of Hours
If you have been working full time, most likely you have banked hours that provide eligibility for health insurance up to six months after you stop working. Any questions regarding the MPI Health Plans should be directed to MPI staff. Visit their website at www.mpiphp.org or call 855-ASK-4MPI.
MPI also has a special Strike Relief tab on the main page. There is information about continuing health coverage if you’re not earning the hours in your qualifying period as well as IAP hardship form.
- Unemployment Insurance
Learn about filing an unemployment claim as an entertainment industry employee.
Members may be able to extend their UI benefits if they enroll in an approved training program of school. More information about California Training Benefits can be found here and the Training Extension program here. This list of eligible training types explains eligible training.Because EDD can be difficult to navigate, we recommend you request free assistance through the Verdugo Jobs Center. In addition, if you are eligible the center can help provide funding for training programs.If you are outside California, you can find your state’s unemployment insurance program here.
Wage Information for Job Hunters
- TAG Minimum Wage Scales
This document lists the minimum wage scales for each job category that was negotiated in TAG’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Keep in mind that when you negotiate for a job, you can ask for more than the minimum rate. To learn more, read our guide to Negotiating Your Deal Memo.
- Industry Wages
A group called Salty Animators publishes a list for which animation artists and production staff have anonymously disclosed their salaries. The list offers a view of wage standards and discrepancies.
- Animation Writers Salary Grid
This anonymous list provides animation writer wages with subcategories including gender, studio, age group, format length, and more.
Visa Holders
- H1-B, TN, and O-1/O-2 Visas
The Animation Guild offers Advisory Opinions on O-1 and/or O-2 Immigration Visa applications for artists doing work in job categories we cover under our collective agreements. Learn more here.
What to know if your employment ends for an H-1B Visa job.
What to know if your employment ends for a TN Visa job.
FAQs about O1 Visas.
- TAG's LA Expat Discord Server
Connect with fellow TAG expats on this Discord Server. Request an invite here.
Please keep in mind that while there is a TAG Discord channel, it is voluntarily ran by TAG Members. While members may share Guild-authorized information, this does not mean all information shared on Discord has been authorized. Any response received through these Discord channels is not authorized by the Guild. If you need an answer to a question, please email membership@tag839.org or visit FAQs for answers to commonly asked questions.
- Immigration Attorney