Here’s Corporate America’s new employment offer: Jobs that pay nothing.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101199651
Roger Rabbit Commentary: The reason people are willing to do this, of course, is because blank spots on their resumes look really, really bad.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101204809
So, with paid jobs in very short supply, people increasingly take non-paying jobs just to look busy — and, hopefully, to have a foot in the door if the business eventually needs to fill a paying job. (But why would they, when they can get people to work for free?)
As outrageous as this is, it’s merely a waystop on the corporate bus line. Count on creative HR directors to leverage the tyranny they’re inflicting on desperate jobseekers. (”No recent work experience, no interview!”) The ultimate destination is a workplace where employees pay companies for the privilege of working there. It’s probably not far away. (After all, they pay colleges to farm them out to employers willing to let them work for free; so, why not eliminate the middleman, and have workers pay companies directly for the privilege of working?)
Corporate America’s exproriation of labor is going ahead full bore!
“Sorry, Smedley, but your position is being taking over by an unpaid intern. However, in view of your long and loyal service to the Company, we’ve reserved an unpaid internship for you in the shipping department, if you want it.”
Roger Rabbit Commentary: Smedley better take it. At least the shipping department is heated (although the truck loading dock isn’t). It’s awfully cold out there on the streets. And nowadays blank spots on a resume are a killer. HR people interpret that as unemployment, and you know how they feel about unemployed people.