NOW SAINSBURY’S, SUPERDRUG, MORRISONS AND WEIGHTWATCHERS ADVERTISE FOR EXPENSES-ONLY WORKERS
Since last week’s investigation into Tesco’s recruitment of an unpaid intern to work on their magazine, Graduate Fog has discovered four other household brands doing exactly the same thing.
Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Superdrug and Weight Watchers have all publicly posted advertisements for unpaid (or expenses-only) internships on their brand’s magazine. As all these placements have set hours and responsibilities, the employers are highly likely to be legally obliged to pay at least the National Minimum Wage (£5.80 an hour, for over 21s).
The four ads appeared on the well-respected journalism and PR websites Gorkana and Journalism.co.uk. These are the same sites that ran the Tesco ad (which I see has now been removed from both):
I’ve posted screen grabs of the ads at the bottom of this post, but here are summaries of each ad:
Sainsbury’s
Role Two-month internship with the magazine’s features team, “including supporting the editor’s PA and responding to reader queries. The ideal candidate would be a graduate with a passion for magazines, organised, a clear communicator with strong writing skills.”
Pay “This is not a paid role, although weekly costs will be covered.”
Morrisons
Role “Editorial intern to assist on a health and beauty project and the main magazine. Tasks will include organising samples, contacting PRs and readers and general magazine admin. Please note that this is an administration-based role not feature writing. Superb organisation sills are a must and some magazine experience is essential.” The placement lasts “approx 4 weeks” and working hours are 9am – 5.30pm.
Pay “Travel expenses will be paid.”
Superdrug
Role Design intern supporting the Art team at Dare, “the High Street Beauty Bible for Superdrug. As well as contributing to layouts you will have the opportunity to do packshot photography, brainstorm ideas and be a valued member of a small team whilst really learning what it is like to work at a fun, busy magazine.” Applicants must have “a good working knowledge of OSX software Indesign, Photoshop and Illustrator.” Working hours 9.30am – 6pm, length of placement unspecified.
Pay “Travel expenses will be paid.”
Weight Watchers
Role Editorial intern for a three-month placement. Duties include: “providing administrative support for the features desk as well as editorial research and feature writing. There will also be the opportunity to attend and help out on photo shoots.”
Pay “The role is not salaried, but we will pay travel expenses and provide and invaluable opportunity to learn key journalism skills, make industry contacts and get by-lined articles for your portfolio.”
Graduate Fog understands that these ad were probably placed by each brand’s contract publishing company. (For Sainsbury’s, Seven Squared; for Morrisons, Result Customer Communications; and for Superdrug and Weightwatchers, River Publishing).
I also understand that placements like these have been happening within journalism for years.
However, as with last week’s Tesco ad, I think they are enormously significant.
Why?
Because unpaid placements used to be journalism’s ‘dirty little secret’.
Everyone knew they happened but they were not advertised, largely – I assume? – because the publications knew they were ethically and legally dubious.
In the past, if you were young and willing to work for nothing, you approached the publication directly to try and arrange a placement.
Clearly even that was pretty dodgy – but that was nothing compared with what we’re seeing now.
Today, huge organisations like Tesco, Superdrug, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Weightwatchers seem to think unpaid internships are so no-big-deal that it is perfectly alright to publicly advertise them.
When in fact they are – and always were – highly likely to be ILLEGAL.
Remember these are brands that make enormous profits and spend zillions promoting a positive image of their company using expensive PR and advertising.
It is also clear in the job descriptions that these companies are obviously gaining value from the interns’ work for them.
And all this in the context of growing societal concern about youth unemployment.
Is it just me or is that pretty disgusting?
I’m going to contact all these companies now and give them a chance to offer an explanation.
As with the Tesco ad last week, I will first approach the brands themselves. Later, I will approach their contract publishers (River, Seven Squared and Result).
This is because I strongly believe that as these magazines carry the Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Superdrug and Weight Watchers brands – and it is these brands that pay River, Seven Squared and Result to produce these mags on their behalf, I think it is them who should take ultimate responsibility.
As promised, here are the screenshots for all four ads:
*Want me to keep pushing this?
It would be great if you could comment below to let me know whether I have your support in continuing with these investigations. Please remember that I’m completely unpaid for my time so I need to make sure I’m spending it following up stories Graduate Fog’s users really do care about! Thanks xx
You have my support Tanya! As you say, allowing this practice to become more and more public and commonplace can only harm graduates more and it is ultimately ethically wrong, disrespectful and simply illegal.
Great, thanks Chris!
Like you, I’m wondering ‘When it become okay for huge companies to brazenly taking advantage of young workers?!’ Because it’s NOT okay!
The whole unpaid internships culture is disgusting in my view – but the fact that we’ve got to a point where huge brands like these think nothing of posting these ads should be a major wake-up call.
SAINSBURY’S UPDATE:
I’ve just had a bizarre phonecall from Tom Parker in the Sainsbury’s press office. Apparently, he is ‘disappointed’ that I didn’t give them the right to reply before publishing this post, which he said was ‘standard practice’.
Er, missing the point much, Tom?
I’ve just written about the fact that HIS company are doing something ILLEGAL and he’s lecturing me on how to be a journalist.
Okay so I can see why it’s annoying for him – and you could argue that contacting Sainsbury’s first would have been the ‘polite’ thing to do. However, using Tesco’s response to this as a template, I figured that hanging around waiting for statements from all four of these companies would have delayed this story going live, so I took the decision to run it yesterday and then invite them to defend their actions afterwards. Everything in my post is either fact or (very clearly) my opinion, so I have not done anything wrong legally.
As I said to him, ‘Welcome to the internet’!
He says he’s out of town so will provide a statement on Thursday…
Why can’t he provide a reply now, given that he’s already taken the time to tell you off? Either he can defend his company’s (or Seven Squared) actions – i.e. not paying interns is their standard policy – or he can’t and you’ve caught them on the back foot.
Tsk tsk.
@Clare
He said they would need to speak to Seven Squared first. I just found it astonishing that given the seriousness of what we’re talking about, he seemed so keen to make his point that what I’D done was out of order! If he wanted to make me even angrier, he did a fantastic job. I can’t stand that kind of arrogance!
PS. How cross do you think he’ll be that I’ve shared his ‘disappointment’ with Graduate Fog’s users? Just thinking about that makes me smile : )
“He said they would need to speak to Seven Squared first.”
I bet he did.
Would that be because they don’t have a thought-out policy on interns? If they did, they could just say what that was. Does Sainsbury’s believe that interns working on their magazine should be paid or not? Why does he need to go back to Seven Squared to tell you what Sainsbury’s stand on paying / not paying interns is?
Is this an example of people making it up as they go along? Not such a great look for a major supermarket brand…
If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth paying someone to do it. Also even in the recession, these companies can hardly be classed as struggling. They are using people’s desperation to get free labour.
Hi Tanya,
Just wondering, are you going to write anything re: Vince Cable’s announcement.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hbmH8tyl5vVfLiwGyV6W0KRLZwug
Phil
The fact that this was advertised at all is enraging, never mind the fact that graduates can’t afford to turn their noses up at such a post and will squabble over the roles. Recruiters have a captive audience and are demanding more and more from their new employees. Most graduate trainee schemes are tantamount to slave labour as it is with 60h+ weeks and poor working conditions but to do it unpaid is an insult to their talent and sensibility. I honestly don’t know what else we can do other than report it. Keep up the good work.
@Violet
I agree 100%.
What’s so striking from all these job descriptions is that these companies are clearly not just looking for someone to sort the post and make the tea. These roles have proper responsibilities and set hours. Many even state they require certain experience / skills.
So, to go a bit further from what you’ve said, I think if a job’s worth creating an advertisement for, it’s worth paying for.
@Phil – Yes certainly am! Vince isn’t getting off that easy ; )
Alas, I have a couple of deadlines for some other (paid) work today, so it will have to wait until tomorrow or I won’t be able to pay my rent this month…
Watch this space!
T x
DISGUSTING JOBCENTRE FILTH AND FILTH GOVERNMENT MAKING 54YRS TO WORK FREE 3 MTH WORK PLACEMENTS AND BEYOND FOR NOTHING IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRY ON A PITTANCE
BUT EMPLOYERS GET 1,000 AND MORE FOR TAKING ON CLAIMANTS
DISGUSTING IMMORAL DAYS OF CHIMNEY SWEEP IN YR 2010 2011
SLAVE LABOUR WHY GIVE MONEY TO POINTLESS WARS …….. WHY GIVE MONEY ELSEWHERE….. THOUGHT WE WERE IN DEFICIT…..
IVE ACTUALLY WORKED FOR OVER ONE YEAR ON ONE DAY VOLUNTARY BASIS OFF MY MY OWN BACK BUT I LEFT BECAUSE OF THIS FILTHY COUNTRY THEY CALL ENGLAND HAVE TOO MANY UNPAID WORK……
I WANT 16 HRS WORK FOR 18MTH UNEMPLOYED CANT FIND NOTHING FREE WORK DOESENT PAY BILLS AND ITS NOT GOING TO MAKE A CLAIMANT HAPPY TO BE THERE ON THAT PLACEMENT AS A DOGS BODY