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Unpaid work poorly masked as a helping hand

On 9 Nov 2015 at 4:15pm Elrhi wrote:

I've just seen that Anne of Cleves House are advertising for 'volunteer' trainee baristas in their caf�, milking the 'no experience:no job' catch-22 that most young people find themselves in. What a joke. Embarrassing and exploitative

On 9 Nov 2015 at 4:36pm I Agree wrote:

This is so wrong. I feel sorry for young people today. Those that are willing to work should be paid a decent wage, and not so the lazy, work shy, can't be bothered to get out of bed benefit grabbers.

On 10 Nov 2015 at 7:51am Jennifer wrote:

I worked for a long time on a voluntary basis to get into a role I desired. I believe it sorts out the wheat from the chaff in professions. Those who have been wise enough to save before coming down from university, and who are willing to make sacrifices for their own future and for the good of the organisation will identify themselves in this way. It takes the right sort of person to be in the right short of job.

On 10 Nov 2015 at 8:29am Juniper wrote:

I was going to berate you Jennifer, until I saw your reply to the white poppy post. Please stay on the forum.

On 10 Nov 2015 at 8:30am Actually wrote:

Unpaid internships favour those from a better off background who have alternative means with which to live. This is my experience from working in the Arts. It does not sort the wheat from the chaff it merely weeds out many very talented but poorer people to the detriment of the entire industry. Ultimately they are very unfair.

On 10 Nov 2015 at 11:20am Factually wrote:

The detriment of the industry ! The hospitality industry runs on low wages and is run by *rsehole "managers" generally speaking ( from experience )as an artisan not an artist.

On 10 Nov 2015 at 12:06pm Actually wrote:

I was not talking about the hospitality industry. I was following on from stating that I work in the arts, another field that is very exploitative when it comes to unpaid work.
You are correct however, in my own experience of working in the hospitality industry in order to afford to study, it sucked.

On 10 Nov 2015 at 8:59pm Fred wrote:

"Charity uses volunteers". Doesn't sound too controversial to me.

On 11 Nov 2015 at 7:19am Henry V111 wrote:

Off wiv 'is head, damned Fred.

On 15 Nov 2015 at 10:40am Harry wrote:

If you are working, you should get paid. Employers can take people on a 3 month trial basis (or longer) so that if a new employee does not meet expectations they can be dismissed. This idea of no pay is exploitation and, as has been mentioned already, favours those from better off families.