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demmiblue

(39,309 posts) Wed Oct 7, 2015, 04:58 PM Oct 2015

Urban Outfitters parent company asks employees to work for free [View all]

Source: Philly.com

If you work at Urban Outfitters, your bosses want you to work for free. To keep up with the increased seasonal demand, the parent company of Urban Outfitters, URBN, which also owns Free People and Anthropologie, sent an employee-only email calling for volunteers.

URBN, which is headquartered in Philadelphia, asked its salaried employees to engage in “a team-building activity,” picking, packing and preparing packages for shipment.

Part of the email reads:

“URBN is seeking weekend volunteers to help out at our fulfillment center in Gap, PA. October will be the busiest month yet for the center, and we need additional helping hands to ensure the timely shipment of orders. As a volunteer, you will work side by side with your GFC colleagues to help pick, pack and ship orders for our wholesale and direct customers.”

More: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/style/Urban-Outfitters-parent-company-asks-employees-work-for-free.html

70 replies

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Urban Outfitters parent company asks employees to work for free [View all] demmiblue Oct 2015 OP

Someone needs to report them to the labor board...nt joeybee12 Oct 2015 #1

A salaried employee who is FLSA exempt isn't entitled to overtime pay Major Nikon Oct 2015 #17

i saw that as well as a salaried employee youre paid on a 24 basis saturnsring Oct 2015 #21

Yes, it's pretty much up to the employer's discretion Major Nikon Oct 2015 #24

But they're doing work that should be done by others... joeybee12 Oct 2015 #23

It's not just supervisors Major Nikon Oct 2015 #25

You can't just have someone volunteer in another department joeybee12 Oct 2015 #27

Kinda hard to sue an employer when there's no violation of the law Major Nikon Oct 2015 #33

Bingo! Dustlawyer Oct 2015 #28

How would it be any different than if they had ordered the employees to do it? Major Nikon Oct 2015 #34

It won'y be promotion as much as the yearly pay raise of 1.5% vs 1.0% for the non volunteer. LiberalArkie Oct 2015 #37

Behold the magic power of "And other duties as assigned". (nt) jeff47 Oct 2015 #40

However they must make more than $455 per week. SteveG Oct 2015 #60

My qualifier makes that assumption along with all the others you listed Major Nikon Oct 2015 #61

Shouldn't the CEO be leading by example, in this regard? villager Oct 2015 #2

How about the idiots that came up with this idea work for free? hobbit709 Oct 2015 #3

lots of companies have been doing this for decades, like UPS. worst company out there. hollysmom Oct 2015 #5

If they tried that with me it would be "Pay me or I'm outa here" hobbit709 Oct 2015 #6

easier said than done, hollysmom Oct 2015 #13

I always worked hourly. I never wanted to be a stuporvisor type. hobbit709 Oct 2015 #18

I would say, "Pardon me? 'Work for fee?' Sure, I'll work for fee!" KansDem Oct 2015 #14

I'm ready to step up and help out by not purchasing their goods. bluedigger Oct 2015 #4

Me too! workinclasszero Oct 2015 #52

I luckally I can't afford the slave made dreck they sell olddots Oct 2015 #7

How many are afraid to not comply out of fear of losing their job? Solly Mack Oct 2015 #8

It's a very common tactic laundry_queen Oct 2015 #53

Just another way to treat workers like dirt. Solly Mack Oct 2015 #56

It wasn't the first time laundry_queen Oct 2015 #57

Exactly. And it's a double shaft - coercing those workers to work for free or lose jobs suffragette Oct 2015 #67

WTF! I'll encourage my daughter not to shop there. Dont call me Shirley Oct 2015 #9

And corporatist sociopaths are saying... gregcrawford Oct 2015 #10

I'm shocked. Shocked! </sarc> KamaAina Oct 2015 #11

Gap, PA? KamaAina Oct 2015 #12

What complete and total assholes. yardwork Oct 2015 #15

Are there any questions? Aerows Oct 2015 #16

Geez, with that salary, you'd think this asshole could get a haircut and some clothes Nay Oct 2015 #39

When did bosses become such base animals! wolfie001 Oct 2015 #19

It used to be that the definition of chutzpah hifiguy Oct 2015 #20

I hope you'll delete your rape advocacy comment. n/t Ms. Toad Oct 2015 #63

Wow. zentrum Oct 2015 #22

As a salaried employee ryan_cats Oct 2015 #26

everyone sing along olddots Oct 2015 #29

Must be hard for them to work there while walking around with a 2X4 stuck up their asses. BlueJazz Oct 2015 #30

in a pigs eye allan01 Oct 2015 #31

When my sons were much younger, SheilaT Oct 2015 #32

GFY is the only I can think of here 4dsc Oct 2015 #35

Maybe the 5 execs could offer some of their salary totalling over 12 million. valerief Oct 2015 #36

They have big balls to be asking them to work for free. Unknown Beatle Oct 2015 #38

A Union shop would not allow this. PowerToThePeople Oct 2015 #41

I hope that Bernie's union bill gets passed by Congress. JDPriestly Oct 2015 #48

Hell, my employer did that for years... SoapBox Oct 2015 #42

As a team building exercise, grab your pitchforks hughee99 Oct 2015 #43

My boss is doing something like this - at a government job (college) MillennialDem Oct 2015 #44

Talk to an attorney. I can't comment on your specific situation, but a lot of attorneys, especially JDPriestly Oct 2015 #47

Are you sure that means they work for free? JDPriestly Oct 2015 #45

Article said SALARIED employees groundloop Oct 2015 #49

Sorry. If the employees are salaried, the employer could probably simply tell them when to JDPriestly Oct 2015 #59

Urban Outrageous! n/t GreatGazoo Oct 2015 #46

That's really bad. Renew Deal Oct 2015 #50

Every salaried employee who works for free is stealing money from an hourly worker. procon Oct 2015 #51

Time for a union GoneOffShore Oct 2015 #54

LOL, this company is something else ProudToBeBlueInRhody Oct 2015 #55

Well I guess it all depends on if you like your job and company. dilby Oct 2015 #58

uh huh..,that's what they're asking'...free labor from salaried employees. ret5hd Oct 2015 #69

I make more than I ever did hourly. dilby Oct 2015 #70

If you expect me to work for free, fuck you. Initech Oct 2015 #62

Anthropologie, Free People, and Urban Outfitters - TBF Oct 2015 #64

How do people know it's not directed at lazy ass middle management? snooper2 Oct 2015 #65

Urban Outshitters: Selling Thrift Store Clothes at Saks 5th Prices! HughBeaumont Oct 2015 #66

K&R hedgehog Oct 2015 #68