“CHEERFUL, CAN-DO ATTITUDE” ESSENTIAL — BUT NO WAGE OFFERED
* GRADUATE FOG EXCLUSIVE *
Has the BBC fluffed its renewed commitment to diversity already? BBC Scotland has been warned to stay within the law over multiple full-time, unpaid “voluntary runner” roles it advertised earlier this year, to work at a live event coinciding with the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. The advert was placed shortly before the corporation announced a renewed commitment to improving diversity among its staff, and the placements are happening now.
Graduate Fog has learned that broadcasting union BECTU has held talks with the BBC Scotland over the roles and is monitoring the corporation after multiple young applicants were spotted being recruited in May to work at ‘BBC at the Quay’. Wannabe runners were told they would need to sign up to one of two daily shifts (“early morning to mid-afternoon or mid-afternoon to close of site”) and that their job would involve “a variety of daily tasks.” Despite being told they must “support to the Events team and BBC productions team backstage, assist the site’s visitors and perform general runner duties” for no wages, applicants were told they must display “a cheerful can-do attitude” at all times. Here is the advert in full:
How to volunteer at BBC at The Quay
BBC at the Quay – Runners (Voluntary)
BBC at the Quay is a live, pop-up festival coinciding with the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the accompanying city-wide cultural celebration Festival 2014. The site, in front of BBC Scotland’s HQ at Pacific Quay, will host a wide variety of live radio and television programmes and recordings as well as non-broadcast events originated both by the BBC and external organisations.
We aim to offer visitors of all ages a memorable, entertaining and high-quality experience in a safe environment. We will celebrate the cultural diversity of the Commonwealth using big BBC brands in a curated programme of events targeted both at audiences who already love the BBC and those who are harder for us to reach.
The site will be open for 16 days from Friday 19th July — Sunday 3rd August 2014. We are looking for Volunteers who would be available for the entire period to help us run the event smoothly. There will also be a Volunteers Briefing on Thursday 17th July which you will be required to attend. These are full time positions.
This is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in live event production during one of the most exciting sporting events ever to take place in Glasgow. As a volunteer you will also have the chance to learn from industry professionals from all areas of the BBC such as TV, Radio and Events.
There will be a variety of daily tasks to carry out as you work across the festival site to support the Events team and the BBC production teams backstage, assist the site’s visitors and perform general Runner duties. Volunteers’ tasks are varied and require a cheerful, can-do attitude.
The site is open from 09:00 until 01:00 daily. Volunteers would cover one of two daily shifts, either early morning to mid-afternoon or mid-afternoon to close of site however there may be some variations of this shift pattern to accommodate special broadcasts.
There will be a significant amount of interaction with the public in these roles, so it is important that candidates are confident, friendly and aware of their role as ambassadors for the BBC at all times.
We are looking for reliable candidates who can work well under pressure, are able to adapt to working with multiple teams, demonstrating clear communication skills and the flexibility to adapt to a wide range of situations. Previous experience of events or production environments would be beneficial, but not essential.
PLEASE NOTE: You will need to be based in the Glasgow area as we will be unable to provide accommodation. Travel expenses to and from the site will be supplemented. In addition, Volunteers must attend a briefing on Thursday 17th July at the BBC at the Quay site located outside the BBC Scotland’s headquarters at 40 Pacific Quay, Glasgow, G51 1DA. All volunteers must be over 18. Food & drink will be provided for all Volunteers.
If you’re interested in volunteering, or would like to find out more, please email:- thequay@bbc.co.uk
Applicants should include a CV, a short reference and a statement about why they want to be considered for this position.
Application deadline: 23:59pm Monday 05 May 2014
Were these really ‘volunteer’ roles? And were they really open to everyone? We asked BBC Scotland to explain:
To: BBC
From: Graduate Fog
Re: Unpaid runners at BBC at the QuayMy name is Tanya de Grunwald and I run the graduate careers blog Graduate Fog.
One of my readers has drawn my attention to an advert for voluntary runners to work at BBC at the Quay during the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the accompanying cultural Festival 2014 (pasted below).
The advert states that the positions are “full-time” and involve “daily tasks”. As such, can you explain how the BBC feels these positions fit with the UK’s National Minimum Wage law?
I would also like to ask how you feel that these are truly accessible to all young people, when they are full-time and unpaid?
With many thanks
Tanya
The BBC replied:
From: BBC
To: Graduate FogDear Tanya
Thankyou for your email about volunteers at BBC@the Quay.
These work experience placements are for the BBC@the Quay ‘live site’ and will be based at BBC Scotland’s headquarters in Glasgow. The site will showcase BBC brands, content and services and provide a destination site for members of the public. The site is part of the BBC’s commitment to the wider cultural programme that is running alongside the Commonwealth Games. The advertised roles will support the running of the site and will involve undertaking a variety of tasks which will allow those successful candidates to obtain valuable skills and work experience, during an extremely exciting time for the BBC and for Glasgow.
These roles have been defined in line with our work experience policy; individuals are placed within the BBC for a limited period of time, during which they have the opportunity to learn directly about working life and the working environment in the broadcasting industry. The BBC@the Quay work experience placements will offer valuable work experience to assist individuals in obtaining future employment in the sector.
The BBC Work Experience policy has strict guidelines in relation to working hours and shifts and successful candidates will work on a rota basis in line with these requirements.
BBC Scotland chose to open these opportunities to the general public in order to allow a diverse range of candidates to apply, and to provide opportunities to those individuals who missed out on the official Commonwealth Games organising committee volunteering placements.
This is not a new approach to work experience. BBC Scotland has undertaken similar work experience programmes to support running the Edinburgh Festival site. BBC at the Edinburgh Festivals is entering its fourth year, and each year BBC Scotland have offered similar work experience opportunities to allow local students and members of the public the opportunity to gain valuable experience at such a significant cultural event. Feedback from the volunteers in previous years has been extremely positive. The placements provided development and networking opportunities for individuals trying to establish themselves in the industry or looking to gain new skills and experience. Many of our volunteers from previous years have gone on to secure paid employment with the BBC, in our Runner or Production Management Assistant pools.
I would like to reassure you that those who are successful in securing one of the BBC @the quay work experience opportunities will be managed in line with the BBC work experience policy and will also benefit from CV clinics and career support in terms of advice on how to secure future employment with the BBC. These workshops will be an integrated part of their placements with BBC @the quay.
Sharon Mair is the Project Executive with responsibility for the design and delivery of the site and would be happy to discuss the programme with you in more detail by phone or in person if that would be helpful.
Kind regards
Hm. Not that reassuring, is it? We wrote back:
To: BBC
From: Graduate FogThanks for this.
However, I remain unclear on how these positions fit with the minimum wage law, which states that anybody who does work that’s of value to their employer and would otherwise need to be done by a paid member of staff must be paid for their time. I am not interested in how they fit with the BBC’s work experience policy, only how they fit with UK employment law. The fact that ‘shifts’ are involves also suggests that these runners will have set hours, (ie will not be free to come and go as they please) which further cements a ‘worker’ relationship, by law. If somebody is a ‘worker’, their employer must pay them. They cannot waive their right to pay, even if they say they are willing to work for free as it’s such good experience.
I am also concerned that you continue to underline how these unpaid positions lead to paid jobs. Surely this only underlines the fact that paid positions are out of reach to those who cannot afford to work for free first?
Thanks again
Tanya
The BBC wrote back:
To: Graduate Fog
From: BBC ScotlandHi Tanya
Thank you for your reply.
The positions that we have advertised for work experience at the BBC@ The Quay site are support roles, which will be in addition to the several hundred team members working at the site across the duration of the festival. Large BBC productions will be taking place at the site, aided by their own teams of BBC employees. The festival itself is not therefore dependent on the roles of those undertaking the work experience placements. Of course, these positions will provide support to help the event run more smoothly but they are not event critical positions. Therefore they are not positions which would otherwise need to be filled by a paid member of staff.
The set hours of the placements are in line with our work experience policy which states that ‘Managers should ensure individuals know their expected daily start and finish times including breaks’. Breaks will also be on a rota and assigned based on the start and finish times. In managing the work experience placements by a rota system, it will allow for each individual to gain exposure to the variety of live productions and events that the site has to offer them in gaining valuable experience.
I do hope that clarifies the points you raised.
Kind regards
As we seemed to be going round in circles, we contacted our friends at BECTU. Happily, it turned out they were already on the case. A representative from BECTU in London told us:
“Our Scottish colleagues have had detailed discussions with BBC Scotland on this and are satisfied that these are work experience placements, and that they will be utilised in accordance with the BECTU-BBC agreements for such placements. Our local branch safety reps will also be monitoring their usage to ensure the agreements are fully adhered to.
“We agree that the wording of this advert may look bad, but my understanding is once the detailed arrangements were spelled out, our colleagues were reassured that in practice it’s above board. We’ve encountered this before: a badly-composed ad or listing makes a perfectly acceptable arrangement look dodgy.
“As the recognised union at the BBC, we have numerous formal agreements with them, including an agreement on work placements. There have been detailed discussions between BECTU reps and BBC management about this particular situation…
“We can’t publish the minutes of those discussions because they are the joint property of BECTU and the BBC — that’s how industrial relations works. But the BBC has given us formal assurances about this particular arrangement, and on that basis we believe that it is in line with our agreement.
“What’s more, to back that up, we will have the names of all the young people on these work placements, and our reps will have access to them to give support and advice, and if any of them is unhappy they will be able to lodge a formal complaint or grievance.”
Given BECTU’s excellent record on investigating unpaid work, Graduate Fog is confident that they will do an thorough job of monitoring these roles to ensure that those who have taken them feel fairly treated as true ‘volunteers’. However, we remain concerned that the BBC has yet again shown a lack of understanding about the underlying causes of their diversity problem. Undoubtedly, these runner roles will improve the CVs of those who do the roles. But surely young people from wealthier backgrounds are more likely to be in a position to take them? What about those who need to earn actual money this summer – won’t they be excluded?
Not at all.
These are work experience. The law defines them differently.
The BBC are quite within their rights and to my mind are encouraging diversity by advertising them widely.
Work experience IS NOT THE SAME as volunteering.
No, this is WORK. these people are expected to turn up for set hours to do real work. The work they do is integral to the event and would have to be filled by paid workers if the BBC did not fill them with unpaid workers.
Work experience, to be an exception to the minimum wage regulations MUST be a required part of a full time course undertaken by a full time student.
It doesn’t matter on the description which an employer has…if an employer has a role which decrees that a candidate has to turn up to a place of business, proceeds to do work defined by the business, under the supervision of a staffer, then they are subject to a defacto Contract of Employment, and are entitled to at least National Minimum Wage.
Hopefully, someone will have reported the disreputable business to HMRC where they may invoke their criminal investigatory powers to assess the incidence of tax fraud.
Well no, sadly that isn’t correct. Eowyn (and anyone else who might be interested) you need to read the government website if you want to know what actually defines a worker.
It is not actually enough for someone to have to turn up at a set time and given defined tasks under supervision to be due the minimum wage.
Interesting piece.
As one of the people who volunteered with the BBC at an above mentioned event this summer, a couple of points spring to mind.
First off, the experience was worth while, despite working unpaid (I knew this before I applied, I did not enter into this under any illusion) I enjoyed my time on site and gained a better understanding of how a live events site operates. I met new people and had the opportunity to shadow industry experts in their roles. I can believe the BBC in their above letter when they say they receive ‘Positive feedback’ from volunteers as everyone I worked with myself included left content and even keen to return.
My issue with the above letter is this, the BBC claim:
“These positions will provide support to help the event run more smoothly but they are not event critical positions. Therefore they are not positions which would otherwise need to be filled by a paid member of staff.”
As someone who has recently worked 150+ unpaid hours on a BBC site in Edinburgh, I find this statement wholly unfair. Their Edinburgh site generally had 30+ volunteers on duty everyday of the festival (24 days). We carried out a number of roles in rain, hail or shine and I point blank refuse to accept that these posts were not event critical. I know myself it’s not possible and I’m sure the BBC team who ran that site would agree. So to the person who wrote the letter to make a claim like that is a bit of a slap in the face. Especially when they’re speaking on behalf of the organisation I dedicated a month to this year.
I’m not bothered that it was unpaid, as mentioned previously, I was aware of that from the outset. What’s upsetting is the BBC’s claims that this was merely support when my work among many others was evidently crucial to the successful running of this event.
And the BBC are at it again, same event, same nonsense. Hiring runners as “volunteers” but giving them real work within set hours. This is what they are telling people who apply for a runner job at this event:
“There will be a variety of daily tasks and opportunities to make valuable industry contacts. You will work across the venue to support the Events team and the BBC production teams backstage, assist the site’s visitors and perform general duties. Volunteers’ tasks are varied and require a cheerful, can-do attitude.
The site is open from 09:00am until 01:00am daily. Volunteers cover one of two daily shifts, either early morning to mid-afternoon or mid-afternoon to close of site. There may be some variations of this shift pattern to accommodate special broadcasts.
PLEASE NOTE: You will need to be based in the Edinburgh area as we will be unable to provide accommodation. Travel expenses to and from the site will be supplemented. Volunteers will need to attend a briefing on 6 August 2015 at the BBC site located in the Old Town, off Potterrow, near Bristo Square”
Real work, set attendance times, a real job which would otherwise have to be filled by someone paid. The BBC is stealing the minimum wage from the pocket of these people, yet again.
Unfortunately this is the norm in this business. Film isn’t all glitz and glamour, yet EVERYBODY want to do it. Do you realise how many people apply for paid positions in media departments? And with no experience, how do the employers know they can actually do the job? It would be a mess if someone was hired who didn’t actually have a clue what they were doing. Yes, runner positions vould be paid, but then it would be EVEN HARDER to get any experience in the industry at all. Showing you are willing to work for free shows a commitment to the industry and proves you really want to work hard at it. Because of competition,paid roles will then go to those who are able to do them.
Thanks for your comment Rachel – unfortunately I must say I disagree with about 90% of it. But that’s okay – that’s Graduate Fog for you! 😉
While much of what you say appears to make sense, the creeping trend for insisting young people gain more and more ‘experience’ before they’re worth paying even the minimum wage has been extremely toxic for an entire generation of young people. What started off as ‘a bit of work experience’ now looks more and more like thousands of young people scraping by to somehow work full time jobs (as that’s what they often are), for no money. Internships are getting longer and longer, with less and less chance of a job at the end of them. More usually, an unpaid internship simply leads to… another unpaid internship! On the other side of the coin, interns friends who can’t afford to work for free – who may even be more talented – are locked out of this entire industry simply because they can’t afford to work for nothing.
It’s fine for employers to ask for a little bit of experience (preferably gained during their time at uni), but this should not mean months and months of unpaid slog after graduation. That is no kind of system at all. It is the employers’ job to spot potential in young staff. If they are worried about making a bad hiring decision they could always offer a short contract (say, 3 months) and reassess at the end of that.
At present, all the responsibility is being pushed on to young people and the demands are increasingly outrageous and unrealistic, as well as being deeply unfair. Like any other industry, the more competitive industries (whether glamorous in reality or not) have the same responsibility towards their young staff – namely to ensure that their recruitment practices are fair, open and transparent – and to ensure they abide by UK employment law.
Wow Rachel, that really makes no sense at all! It really isn’t that long ago that companies hired a young person, got work out of them and then paid them for it. No idea why it make it harder for people to get work simply because people get paid for it – they are jobs that need doing either way!
I’m not sure how much “experience” one really needs to do the most junior jobs in TV and Film. Making the tea really isn’t that complicated or – in the case of this job – moving people from A to B.
And if you want “commitment” to work in the TV or Film industry, it really is not hard to find that quality in bucketloads contained within the thousands of media graduates who come out of Universities every July.
@Rachel
You are technically correct, but I think many of us are suffering due to the scale of the abuse. Let’s not kid ourselves businesses don’t owe us anything. Many offer what would have been starter jobs as internships/apprenticeships because they can get away with it. The problem can be framed as follows: Who pays for the future worker to become productive to a business? Many businesses want their cake in the same way that many people want to be earning £ with little effort. There has to be compromise otherwise whatever group currently has the most power exploits the other.
I have to say, I think the media world is increasingly out of step on this issue. Yes, media employers can get away with exploiting interns, and excluding those that can’t afford to work for free. But in the end the whole industry will impoverish itself creatively.
Most employers in other sectors are now well on the way to realising that an entry system that relies on unpaid work will eventually cause rot from within. If they keep hiring the same sort of people again and again, you don’t get any fresh ideas or creativity. Nobody challenges the status quo. And the organisation becomes increasingly out of touch with their customer base which is most ordinary people.