Job seekers ready to work without pay, spark debate on ethical issues
Date: 28-Sep-2009
NEW YORK: With US unemployment at a 20-year high, some Americans are
working for free while looking for a job, but experts are split over
whether it
is a sign of dedication or desperation.
Unpaid job seekers can keep their resumes fresh by boosting their
experience and learning new skills, experts say, but others warn
businesses may take advantage of the jobless and that it is illegal for
commercial companies not to pay workers.
Dana Lin, 22, is one of the 14.7 million unemployed workers in the
United States. She lost her marketing job at a technology company near
San Francisco in April and since then has been working for free for
about five hours a week for Internet company Jobnob.com.
“Every company has thousands of people applying for each job, and I
realised I needed more appeal,” said Lin, a graduate of Cornell
University. Since being laid off, she has applied unsuccessfully for about 50 Jobs “In some cases, companies might be getting the better end of it (by having unpaid workers),” she said.
“But it’s nice to have something occupy yourself with and when
speaking to prospective employers it’s nice to say ‘I haven't just been
sitting around all day, I’ve actually been doing something’.”
It’s
not only the unemployed taking on free work. Some employed people are
being asked to go without pay. British Airways has asked its
British-based employees to volunteer for up to a month's unpaid work.
Some companies and US state and city governments have made staff take
unpaid furloughs, but some still work anyway to keep up or because they
are worried about losing their job.
Ross Eisenbrey, vice president of the Washington D.C.-based
Economic Policy Institute, warns that while people can volunteer time
for non-profit groups and government, it is illegal for commercial
companies to not pay workers.
"It's not just a bad idea, it's illegal," Eisenbrey. "The law says
(companies) may not suffer or permit employees to work for less than
the minimum wage.
"The more desperate people get, they will do
things like this to try and make themselves more appealing to an
employer," he said. "The short-term prospects for most of the
unemployed are very bad. They aren't going to be made much better by
working off the books or working for nothing."
BUILDING TALENT PIPELINE
Job seeker Lin started working with Jobnob.com, a website that track salaries
after the company 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."
"They immediately see the benefits, they need references, they need
to keep their skills sharp, a lot of people are learning new skills,"
she said. "I don't think there's anybody who feels taken advantage of
because they understand that ... we wish we had revenue, we wish we
could pay you."
Greenberg said more than 300 job seekers attended the first two "happy hours" and more such events have been planned.
Alexandra
Levit, workplace expert and author of "How'd You Score That Gig?"
recommended volunteering at non-profit organizations to gain or build
experience.
"I think you have to be careful that you're not undervaluing
yourself. If you do have the experience, then you should be paid for
it," Levit said. "I absolutely think companies are taking advantage."
Madeline Laurano, principal analyst at workplace research and
advisory firm Bersin and Associates, argued that the recession-spurred
trend of working for free is a great way for companies to build a
"talent pipeline" to tap when the economy recovers.
"Employers need to think about the same strategies that they would if they were hiring someone who was getting paid. You still want a quality person," Laurano
said. "Job seekers also need to think the same way, 'I still want to
invest my time in a company I believe in, that I can grow and learn
from.'
"The argument that people are making is, is it desperation or
dedication," she said. "It's not necessarily volunteering at a homeless
shelter, but it's contributing that might also bring you some benefits
in the long run."
Posted By : Senior Correspondent
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