tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-917932169846040654.post8513188873470670148..comments2024-03-29T06:57:27.799+00:00Comments on Jon Slattery: Unpaid internships: Website clarifies ad policyJon Slatteryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13038317396308507738noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-917932169846040654.post-12094221354502154732010-07-13T15:47:24.985+01:002010-07-13T15:47:24.985+01:00Hi Jon,
Thanks for the link to GraduateFog.co.uk ...Hi Jon,<br /><br />Thanks for the link to GraduateFog.co.uk - we're following this story with interest!<br /><br />Unfortunately for Journalism.co.uk (who seem like nice folks), the Tesco ad isn't the only ad to appear on their site that breaks their own rules... Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Weight Watchers and Superdrug have all posted ads too.<br /><br />And those are just the big brands. There are countless other smaller operators brazenly touting for desperate youngsters to come and work for them for nothing:<br /><br />http://graduatefog.co.uk/2010/926/four-more-brands-recruit-unpaid-interns/<br /><br />However, at GraduateFog.co.uk we think the real villains are the companies who run these internships (which are often nothing more than a calculated way to cut staff costs). <br /><br />This is an issue that has not been taken seriously enough up until now - possibly because it's always reported on by journalists who have worked unpaid in their day, so have little sympathy!<br /><br />Well, I too have worked unpaid (in 2002), but I can tell you that things have got far, far worse recently. Grads are in record debt (23k on average), and there are HUGE numbers of them competing for a tiny pool of jobs. That give the employers far too much power - and I'm sorry to say that many of them are abusing it in a way that is not only disgusting but also illegal.<br /><br />Although I lay the main portion of the blame at these companies' door, I think the role of the third parties who advertise these placements is interesting. <br /><br />In my view, although they are doing nothing illegal themselves they have an ethical obligation towards their users. If they're concerned about their reputation, they should be concerned about this issue.Tanya de Grunwaldhttp://www.GraduateFog.co.uknoreply@blogger.com