Would You Work for no pay?

[Lace Neil Singer]

Not only no, but hell no. I have bills to be paid.

Agreed. I don't work for free cuz get this, I don't get food for free, electricity for free, rent for free, petrol for free... etc etc etc.

[Dips]

Those of you in the US who would work for free for a friend/employer who owns a for-profit, please be sure to keep quiet about it. It's illegal. If the DOL finds out, your friend/employer could get into trouble for violating labor laws.

And your friend/employer would have to take into account that anybody who worked for him for free could come back later and sue him for back wages plus interest. That could hurt the business and everyone else in the long run.

That said. Yes, I've done some free work for friends and family who own small for-profit businesses. I was visiting from out of town, they were working, and it made sense to help out a bit while I was hanging out with them at their business. The business owner knew he or she was accepting a risk by trusting me. And, since I like these people, I'm not going to mention names.

But in most situations, it's really much safer for your boss if you take a temporary wage cut (as long as you don't go below minimum), a reduction of hours or go on a temporary unpaid furlough (in which you don't get paid and don't work). The owner of the coin shop where Mr. Dips' works has reduced the number of hours they are open and reduced the number of hours everyone works to save money. That's perfectly legal.

[CaroPhoenix]

I voted "yes" simply because I have done it before.

I worked for a company that made a security program for companies. All their contracts, paperwork, etc. was actually in one of the Twin Towers and so everything was lost when 9/11 happened. I went without pay for like 3 or 4 months before I really had to get a job that paid actual money. (I was saving up for my wedding at the time). The president of the company and his vice-president of the company paid for our health insurance out of their pocket (which was good because I seemed to have been terribly accident-prone a lot during my stay at the company). I loved working there. If they were hiring another receptionist, I'd work there in a heartbeat again.

[crazylegs]

I already do time before and after my shift, but to do a whole month with no money coming in at all? That would be very tough indeed.

[iradney]

Depends on how long I'd have to work for no pay. If it was e.g. one day a week for no pay, that's doable. The company'd save money, and I'd still be able to afford rent, food and gas. Alternatively, I would happily work an extra day a week for free, but only for a limited time.

[Mr Slugger]

I think a couple of restaurants have done this with success, but mind you the wait staff ends up making more from tips because people know they're working for free.

But I had to say hell no for myself, and in all honesty I would say hell no to a paycut. But just looking at the working for free part. I mean what happens if you work for free and then the company still goes under. Now you worked for free and got no job.

The only thing I might consider is if it was a mom an pops with a small staff that I'd work a day for free in exchange for a piece of the company.

[sanchopanza65]

I would in a heartbeat, but then again, I've been going to the church I work at my entire life, and love everybody there, so it's a completely different situation for me. I already do that, kind of. If they have bible school and I'm not on vacation, then I'll do the whole week for free, just to thank them for giving me a job.

[draggar]

THis is a tough decision because companies can fire you whenever they want (I'm sure anyone can be fired for something) so companies have the advantage now - the job makret sucks so they can say things like this. My company hasn't given out any raises in 2008 and will not in 2009 (heh, I wonder where in the ladder that stopped?).

The issue is that while it is a good gesture to help the company, as it was said, we have bills to pay - I'm sure my mortgage bank, my car loan bank, my electric company, me utilities company, my auto insurancre company, my health insurance company would quickly hit me every which way if I didn't pay them for a month (and that's not including gas, food, water, etc..).

Voluntarily - I'll say hell no but if it meant to save my job I really wouldn't have much of a choice. You can always still look for employment while working.

Work for free to help the company? Hell no. They can work it out - save budget from advertising or all those sponsorships. Maybe a VP not getting paid for a month can save 5 or 6 "grunts" and the CEO could probably easily save 10-15 "grunts" paychecks. They got us into this mess - why should I have to suffer?

To save my job? Again, no choice here. Hmm, work for free or get laid off and not have a job and not get paid (until unemployment kicks in - which can be a few weeks at least and barely anything - less than half of what I make now.

[XCashier]

The only way I'd work for free was if someone else was taking care of all my expenses. So hell no.

Exactly. I'd be willing to take a temporary pay cut, but not work for free. I've got a family to feed and bills to pay.

[Aethian]

Staff works for Free

Note that their are some pop ups, sorry for that. This is not the place I was talking about in my previous post but the first one to do it in my home state.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Not only no, but hell no. I have bills to be paid.

[PizzaDrone]

Walsh, along with Keith Williams, the chief financial officer, has promised to work for nothing in July. But the idea has gone down badly with unions. They point out that Walsh, on a salary of £735,000, can afford a month with no pay, while his subordinates will seriously struggle. The average salary for BA's cabin staff is £29,900, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.

^ This would also sway my opinion. How much money could have been saved by making cuts with the higher-ups?

[Greenday]

The only way I'd work for free was if someone else was taking care of all my expenses. So hell no.

[Dips]

That wouldn't work in the US. It's against federal law to do work without pay unless you work for a non-profit. Even if you want to work for free to help out a great boss, you can't.

Employers and employees are free to agree to a wage or salary reduction to save the company or their jobs. However, the wage cannot go below federal minimum wage unless you are a tipped employee and make enough in tips to bring you up to the minimum.

[PizzaDrone]

I voted no, but only in the case that the place I worked for was a franchise of sorts. If I worked for a local business or for someone I was close to, then I would lend a free hand. This would also apply if I genuinely loved the job and had no bills to pay. However, I feel that franchises often have more money that they're letting on and I know that are encouraged to run on the bare-minimum. In the case of British Airways, although air travel is considered to be safe, the crews are still required to be placed in situations where there could be an accident.

Its also worth comparing it to someone not having enough cash to pay their bills and rent...how many landlords would allow them to live there for free?