Urban Outfitters asks employees to work for free

"With the peak shopping season approaching, Urban Outfitters is asking its employees to pitch in a bit more on the weekends. But there's a catch: they won't get paid for it.

In an email obtained by Gawker this week, the Philadelphia-based retailer told salaried employees that it was looking for weekend volunteers to help "pick, pack and prepare packages" for wholesale and direct customers.
Urban Outfitters, which operates its namesake brand along with Anthropologie and Free People said it would be a great "team building activity." Employees can sign up throughout the five weekends during the busy month of October. The company will offer transportation and lunch to those willing to show a little team spirit."
http://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/08/urban-outfitters-asks-employees-to-work-for-free.html

Cool a hackathon for online retail.  They're seeing how much packing and shipping they can generate in the name of company spirit and teamwork oaf course.

#worker exploitation

Are they salaried exempt?

This happens at companies everywhere. I've had to work some weekends and nights myself without additional compensation.

irvinehomeowner said:

Are they salaried exempt?

This happens at companies everywhere. I've had to work some weekends and nights myself without additional compensation.

Click to expand...

In what capacity were those nights and weekends? Were they related to your role/department?  This sounds like they are asking white collar roles to help with shipping product which would be unrelated to their roles. If that is the case it sure seems like they want free labor.

They are asking for "volunteers". My hubby's tech company does the same thing (volunteers for all kinds of things. Bit of a difference because they "get to" pick what they are volunteering to do). He usually chooses to pick up trash at Huntington Beach. One year he volunteered at the Solar Decathalon.

I worked for a hospital and they did the same thing for all the RNs who also "got to" pick what jobs they "wanted" to volunteer for but in both cases if you didn't "choose" to do so, it negatively impacted your performance review, and you were pretty much badgered repeatedly into signing up and following thru. Not exactly a volunteer situation even though both companies worded it that way.

Oh and in both cases these so called volunteer jobs entailed 2-3 full days on your day off.

Ready2Downsize said:

They are asking for "volunteers". My hubby's tech company does the same thing (volunteers for all kinds of things. Bit of a difference because they "get to" pick what they are volunteering to do). He usually chooses to pick up trash at Huntington Beach. One year he volunteered at the Solar Decathalon.

I worked for a hospital and they did the same thing for all the RNs who also "got to" pick what jobs they "wanted" to volunteer for but in both cases if you didn't "choose" to do so, it negatively impacted your performance review, and you were pretty much badgered repeatedly into signing up and following thru. Not exactly a volunteer situation even though both companies worded it that way.

Oh and in both cases these so called volunteer jobs entailed 2-3 full days on your day off.

Click to expand...

A lot of companies like employees to volunteer outside of the office and they will actually pay your. Urban outfitters isn't asking for that. They want u to "volunteer" outside of your role so they don't have to pay other labor.

That was certainly not the case at Tenet Health Care hospitals (I no longer work for Tenet so can't say if it's still a policy) but it's most definitely still a policy at my hubby's job. It's not like he's a low level employee either.... he's a mid level manager with an MBA and he's worked for that company for 15 years. Sure you can say no, but it's basically not going to fly. They'll just hound him on another day as to when, not if he's got his volunteering time in this year. Bugs him when the beach cleanup is filled up....... says at least he gets to watch the waves as he's picking up everyone else's garbage of which there is a lot apparently.

Ready2Downsize said:

That was certainly not the case at Tenet Health Care hospitals (I no longer work for Tenet so can't say if it's still a policy) but it's most definitely still a policy at my hubby's job. It's not like he's a low level employee either.... he's a mid level manager with an MBA and he's worked for that company for 15 years. Sure you can say no, but it's basically not going to fly. They'll just hound him on another day as to when, not if he's got his volunteering time in this year. Bugs him when the beach cleanup is filled up....... says at least he gets to watch the waves as he's picking up everyone else's garbage of which there is a lot apparently.

Click to expand...

Volunteering for a nonprofit, is a lot different than volunteering to work for free. To me this is a way to save money.

The way I see it, let's not hire extra staff for the warehouse during the busy season, we will get our retail staff to work for free.

Also, have you been in a warehouse? It's not a fun job. It's kind of labor intensive, and can be dangerous with the forklifts/kind of noisy.
(I'm sure Qwerty knows what's up - inventory count experience)

qwerty said:

irvinehomeowner said:

Are they salaried exempt?

This happens at companies everywhere. I've had to work some weekends and nights myself without additional compensation.

Click to expand...

In what capacity were those nights and weekends? Were they related to your role/department?  This sounds like they are asking white collar roles to help with shipping product which would be unrelated to their roles. If that is the case it sure seems like they want free labor.

Click to expand...

Some of those were not in related to my role:

- Helping out another department (Accounting!) do things I don't do as they were shorthanded
- Moving furniture
- Clearing out a storage unit

But I don't mind helping out when needed.

Since when is Tenet non profit? Believe me........... they are definitely for any and all profit they can make. Why should RNs be forced to volunteer on their own time when they are not salaried to something that doesn't even pertain to their department?

I too have helped out outside my role.  Inside my role I've done too many nights and weekends to count. This is neither of those IMHO. Helping out when something unexpected happens or there's a major surge is helping out.  Asking for "volunteer" free labor to do your basic plan isn't helping out and it's becoming the norm.

irvinehomeowner said:

qwerty said:

irvinehomeowner said:

Are they salaried exempt?

This happens at companies everywhere. I've had to work some weekends and nights myself without additional compensation.

Click to expand...

In what capacity were those nights and weekends? Were they related to your role/department?  This sounds like they are asking white collar roles to help with shipping product which would be unrelated to their roles. If that is the case it sure seems like they want free labor.

Click to expand...

Some of those were not in related to my role:

- Helping out another department (Accounting!) do things I don't do as they were shorthanded
- Moving furniture
- Clearing out a storage unit

But I don't mind helping out when needed.

Click to expand...

Were you paid a monthly salary for helping out? I'm guessing you were paid.

The difference with the part time workers, is that's they are not getting paid. (According to the article it can be up to 5 weeks) The retail workers have bills/rent/car payments that have to be paid. So for them not getting paid doesn't make sense.

nosuchreality said:

I too have helped out outside my role.  Inside my role I've done too many nights and weekends to count. This is neither of those IMHO. Helping out when something unexpected happens or there's a major surge is helping out.  Asking for "volunteer" free labor to do your basic plan isn't helping out and it's becoming the norm.

irvinehomeowner said:

qwerty said:

irvinehomeowner said:

Are they salaried exempt?

This happens at companies everywhere. I've had to work some weekends and nights myself without additional compensation.

Click to expand...

In what capacity were those nights and weekends? Were they related to your role/department?  This sounds like they are asking white collar roles to help with shipping product which would be unrelated to their roles. If that is the case it sure seems like they want free labor.

Click to expand...

Some of those were not in related to my role:

- Helping out another department (Accounting!) do things I don't do as they were shorthanded
- Moving furniture
- Clearing out a storage unit

But I don't mind helping out when needed.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I was paid a monthly salary to do a specific job.  Look up the defintions around salary, it's to perform specific work, not unlimited hours for anything.  This isn't okay if it's salaried employees being exploited.  It is, IMHO, even more egregious if the "volunteer" hours request is targeted at hourly paid employees.

Unfortunatey, there is a mindset taking hold in America that salaried == indentured servant.

I just rechecked the article

With the peak shopping season approaching, Urban Outfitters is asking its employees to pitch in a bit more on the weekends. But there's a catch: they won't get paid for it.

In an email obtained by Gawker this week, the Philadelphia-based retailer told salaried employees that it was looking for weekend volunteers to help "pick, pack and prepare packages" for wholesale and direct customers.

Click to expand...

And again, it's one thing to ask for help when you bungled the plan, or your plan is getting blown out by unexpected increases in demand or natural disasters AND you as the business will be giving back to the employees in the form of flex time, bonuses, etc.  Using it as an extortion for free labor, which the whole "hackathon" cr*p has become is plan old exploitation.  Salaried or non-salaried is immaterial.

eyephone said:

Were you paid a monthly salary for helping out? I'm guessing you were paid.

The difference with the part time workers, is that's they are not getting paid. (According to the article it can be up to 5 weeks) The retail workers have bills/rent/car payments that have to be paid. So for them not getting paid doesn't make sense.

nosuchreality said:

I too have helped out outside my role.  Inside my role I've done too many nights and weekends to count. This is neither of those IMHO. Helping out when something unexpected happens or there's a major surge is helping out.  Asking for "volunteer" free labor to do your basic plan isn't helping out and it's becoming the norm.

irvinehomeowner said:

qwerty said:

irvinehomeowner said:

Are they salaried exempt?

This happens at companies everywhere. I've had to work some weekends and nights myself without additional compensation.

Click to expand...

In what capacity were those nights and weekends? Were they related to your role/department?  This sounds like they are asking white collar roles to help with shipping product which would be unrelated to their roles. If that is the case it sure seems like they want free labor.

Click to expand...

Some of those were not in related to my role:

- Helping out another department (Accounting!) do things I don't do as they were shorthanded
- Moving furniture
- Clearing out a storage unit

But I don't mind helping out when needed.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Another thing that is interesting, the article states "team building activity" to me that's company training.