No wonder Poyet turned down Reading...

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Wanted: An uberfan so in love with the club that they'll work for free until we decide they're no longer required.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I am not too sure about this, on the face of it, it seems that football can be so wasteful with vast amounts of money whilst at some levels become quite unreasonable, as this at first seems.

But on a broader thought, might this be an opportunity for someone to gain access to a role close within the club that otherwise might not be be offered.

We wax lyrical about actors that moved stage props and made tea just to get close to the that inner sanctum and soon got acknowledgement and advancement within that profession.

Need to be careful before we unionise every action of opportunities within the private sector.

Rubbish. This is exploitation pure and simple. Either the work Reading are asking this intern to do full-time has a value or it doesn't. If an employer wants someone to do some work for them, they should pay them, simples.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Clearly, that role is a proper job and should come with a proper wage. It's one thing running your club prudently and another to exploit people's goodwill.

Interesting stat I heard last night. Of the promoted clubs Southampton spent £28 million, West Ham £19 million and Reading £5 million. Clearly, Brian McDermott didn't have a hope in hell of keeping them up, and even Madejski has gone on record as saying he'd have kept McDermott on and not sacked him.

If you look at what they've done - which is to control the wage bill and bank the Prem cash - you'd think their strategy would be to use it to yo-yo between the divisions until they felt they were better placed unde FFP to give the Prem a proper go. But if that is the case, why sack a manager whom the players respected who knows how to get out of the Championship?

I bet what scared Gus the most about that job was the transfer budget of £5 million afforded to McDermott in the Prem.

 

[pacman]

Wigan are offering three all unpaid.

UK Sport - Performance Analysis Internship

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Unpaid interns: 100 firms being investigated by HMRC | UK news | guardian.co.uk

Unpaid interns: 100 firms being investigated by HMRC
Inquiry launched after campaigners hand minister list of firms that may be breaking the law through use of unpaid interns

Peter Walker
guardian.co.uk, Friday 12 April 2013 13.20 BST

The government has referred 100 companies for investigation by HM Revenue and Customs after a campaign group told ministers they might be breaking the law through their use of unpaid interns.

The firms, which have not been identified publicly but are understood to include a number of household names, were referred by Jo Swinson, the junior employment minister, after a meeting she had with Intern Aware, which campaigns against the abuse of the internship process.

While companies are free to offer work experience, where this ends up amounting to a job – for example if hours and duties are set and the position lasts for a long time – companies are breaking employment laws if they do not pay at least the minimum wage.

Aside from the illegality, critics say the use of long-term, unpaid positions as an entry point to popular professions in effect excludes those without well-off parents or other means to support themselves.

Abuse of the process remains rife, said Ben Lyons of Intern Aware. The group was able to compile its list of suspect companies simply by trawling jobs websites or searching online for "unpaid internship".

It sought the meeting with Swinson to reveal to her the scale of the problem, Lyons said. "Just to demonstrate the problem, we sent her these 100 ads, most of which were taken from large job sites and would seem to be the tip of the iceberg. We were disappointed HMRC haven't seemed to be recognising what a big issue this is."

Lyons said he co-founded Intern Aware as a way of tackling inequality. "We set it up at university because we were angry at seeing friends of ours, who were bright and hardworking, being priced out of professions because they couldn't afford to work for free. It's not just that they're wrong, but lots of these companies are breaking the law."

Commenting on the referral, Swinson said: "The law on the national minimum wage is clear. If somebody on a work experience placement or internship is a worker under NMW (national minimum wage) legislation, then they are entitled to the minimum wage."

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Wigan are offering three all unpaid.

UK Sport - Performance Analysis Internship

But the Wigan internships are about working at Academy level, and spending some time working alongside the First Team Analysis Department. There's no suggestion that expenses aren't paid. The Reading "job" is full-time, completely unpaid, no expenses, and a requirement to attend all first team home games and some away games.

The Wigan opportunities are at entry level; the Reading "opportunity" requires previous experience and qualifications that are clearly not at entry level.

That said, Wigan should be offering the rate for the job, same as Reading. The rates may be different, of course.

 

[Brok]

It's a good temporary position for someone, but in the long run it is experience, and will look very good on someones CV for when they apply for a job that does actually pay.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

It's a good temporary position for someone, but in the long run it is experience, and will look very good on someones CV for when they apply for a job that does actually pay.

But only if you are sufficiently well off to be able to keep yourself (or have your family keep you) for a year - when you're already up to your neck in debt from your time as a student.

 

[gripper stebson]

Maybe Lucy is a babe??

It's a yes from me!

 

[Biscuit]

Surely that's illegal. If you work, you should be paid.

 

[strings]

Its strange that this story should come up the same day the HMRC announce they are investigating over 100 firms over their use of unpaid interns.

 

[Pavilionaire]

It's a yes from me!

View attachment 41502

Intern THIS!

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

It is a disgrace. All that premiership cash as well. And it would be the same of the Albion were advertising.

 

[Common as Mook]

No-one's being foreced to do it are they?

If they want some valuable work experience and are happy to work for free, then go for it.

 

[teaboy]

no-one's being foreced to do it are they?

If they want some valuable work experience and are happy and able to work for free, then go for it.

ftfy.

 

[Common as Mook]

ftfy.

Same applies, no-one is being forced to do it.

 

[Fitzcarraldo]

It's a good temporary position for someone, but in the long run it is experience, and will look very good on someones CV for when they apply for a job that does actually pay.

But why would clubs start paying when they keep getting interns to work for free? Not even having to pay for the expense of them to have to travel to AWAY games.

I presume you have unpaid interns at your work doing what should be paid work, getting "experience" and "something to put on their CV". I hope you can look them in the eye.

 

[itszamora]

It's a good temporary position for someone, but in the long run it is experience, and will look very good on someones CV for when they apply for a job that does actually pay.

But that's the thing - they clearly state that the person already needs considerable experience and expertise. It's exploitation, pure and simple.

 

[piersa]

Hm. Before we act all indignant, do we happen to know if a similar post at Albion is PAID?

And what a sappy thing the have a bit of oneupmanship about.

If we offer similar conditions, that is a disgrace too. I really hope get no applicants.

 

[piersa]

That's a no then

Google Image Result for http://m.gmgrd.co.uk/sbres/680.$plit/C_67_article_2071786_body_articleblock_0_bodyimage.jpg?27%2F05%2F2010%2008%3A01%3A16%3A357

she would be very presentable if she was dressed up