Go down, Moses,
Way down in Egypt’s land.
Tell old Pharaoh
To let my people go!
I’m going to scream if I hear from one more person that they’re working for free to gain experience or they hope for a big payoff down the line.
When did this happen? Why did we decide as a nation that it was okay for workers to submit to slavery?
*It could be the proliferation of so-called career experts who shoot their mouths off without thinking. Many have recommended that not just college kids, but individuals in the prime of their working lives offer their services for free as a way to get a job. (It’s illegal in this country to volunteer your services to a private employer folks.)
*Maybe it’s the desperation in the air. The unemployment rate is nearing 10 percent and there are a growing number of discouraged workers who can’t find jobs.
*Or maybe there just isn’t enough money to go around for the average working stiff.
Did you see the headlines today about Kenneth Lewis, the outgoing CEO of Bank of America?
The government is making him return $1 million of his pay before he heads out the door. But don’t cry for him yet. His parting gift from the bank is nearly $70 million.
The government’s pay Czar Kenneth Feinberg made the decision to have Lewis cough up the million because the package he was leaving with “was large enough, and possibly too big,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
Ya think?
When I hear about big payouts like this at a time when I keep hearing from readers and friends that they’re volunteering their time to for-profit entities, I can’t help but think something twisted has happened to our economy. No where in the books I’ve read about capitalism does it say, “and workers will work for free.”
Clearly, a worker can’t buy junk and spur the nation’s GDP if they’re not getting paid. It’s a simple formula — pay workers and they will shop.
We hear constantly from so-called compensation experts that you need to pay top executives at companies the big bucks or they won’t take the gigs.
CEOs won’t work for free. But for some reason you’ll work for free for them.
Come on. You know who you are. You worked on those days you were supposed to be furloughed. You’re working for that start up because they say they’re not making money right now, but you want to put the experience on your resume. Or maybe some of you are waiting for something like the dotcom payouts. I have to say, at least many of those people got minimal salaries and shares in the firm.
There are companies actually connecting the unemployed with companies that say they have no money to pay them. This from a Reuters article titled “Crisis spurs people to work for free - good or bad?”:
Jobnob.com, a website that tracks salaries, held its first so-called “happy hour” — to link unemployed people with mostly start-up businesses that have work but are unable to pay.
“The job seekers have time,” said Julie Greenberg, co-founder of Jobnob.com. “It’s really dangerous for them because once you are unemployed for a few months, there’s this proverbial white space on your resume that’s growing.”
Happy hour? Maybe for the company getting free labor.
If you’re working for free it’s unlikely an employer is suddenly going to think you’re worth a lot and pay you what you’re worth. And you’re not helping your fellow job seekers and job holders out there by volunteering for gigs that should be paying jobs.
You all have to start thinking you’re worth a lot, just like CEOs do. And they’re getting paid for not doing their jobs.
Under Lewis’ direction Bank of America took government bailout money, lost $1 billion in the third quarter, and has plans in place to cut up to 35,000 jobs.
Come to think of it, maybe a volunteer CEO would have done better.
Here’s Louis Armstrong doing his job:
October 16th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
You hit the nail right on the head.
Thanks so much for this article. I’m not sure how many people are aware of this bull. As a communications professional, I’m finding more and more jobs that are OBVIOUSLY paid positions peddled on job boards as “internship opportunities.” I even considered volunteering for a television station to get back into video production, but that thought escaped my head quickly when I remembered the unpaid internship I worked as a junior in college. I’m way too far along in my career path to go back to eating ham sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The only Moses that can save us from this free-labor travesty is ourselves. We’ve got to wake up and take this chance to strike out on our own, offering our services as consultants rather than starving to get a foot in the door.
October 16th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
This is exactly what I was worried about Angie. Employers are starting to wise up to the fact that some people will work for free and they’d rather not pony up a salary unless they have to.
It’s unfortunate, and very sad for workers.
But you’re right, we need to step up. No modern day Moses will help us.
October 17th, 2009 at 11:58 am
I totally agree! I’m a journalist and I feel like people think writers should be lucky to work for free. So not true! Writing is a craft just like any other profession. Working for free is an insult.
October 18th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
I cannot give this a big enough thumbs up!! There is a lot of free work happening out there. It always has, and always will be a reality in *most* but not all situations in which one factor is present: If people think they can get away with it.
Years ago I worked in HR at a large, prestigious university. I can’t tell you how many times research professors would abuse immigrants waiting for their student or work visas to come through by “allowing” them to volunteer in the lab.
October 18th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Darn straight.
there’s a difference between volunteering a few hours for a worthwhile organization or cause and maybe putting your skills to good use vs letting companies screw you over. In addition to driving down wages, it also steps up the costs for the rest of us because it makes those that volunteer these hours more likely to need governmental assistance of some sort.