It’s Time To End Free Labor.

This article on The Passive Voice got my blood boiling. In 2021, people are still doing this?! How is there an expectation that people will trade their talent for exposure? I don’t care if it’s “the way things are”. It needs to stop.

Work is work. We all have obligations. Surrendering our time and receiving no means to satisfy our obligations is tantamount to willing slavery.

It is only a cold, hard reality if we continue to perpetuate it. This is especially true if the employer has the means (and they often do) to pay for what they’re asking. For those who may not have the means, passion is great. However, passion is not edible, and exposure doesn’t keep the lights on. If you’re just starting out, it may be okay to ask for people to volunteer their time, but you need to provide a clear path to how you will reimburse your volunteers for their time. They are taking a chance on you and your endeavor. The least you can do is show them how you will reward their risk.

The onus should be on employers, but unless you’re Dan Price, chances are multimillion-dollar corporations will not show concern for the little guy. So it’s up to us. We must discover the strength to change. We must resist the false lure of ‘exposure’ to stay true to our worth. We must discover the courage to say no.

It is time to end free labor.

Thanks for reading.

Avery K. Tingle, The Gamer Author is a Scifi and fantasy author currently residing in Eastern Washington State. When he’s not procrastinating with the PS4, he advocates for equal rights and victims of child and domestic violence. Read his writing and connect on social media here.

Originally published at http://averyktingle.art.blog on May 3, 2021.