Urban Outfitters is facing criticism after it was leaked that the company has asked salaried employees in its Philadelphia headquarters to volunteer to work for free at its fulfillment center in Gap, PA.
In an e-mail obtained and published by Gawker, the company said it was looking for salaried employees to work a six-hour shift on weekends at the facility to "ensure the timely shipment of orders" during what it says will be the "busiest month yet for the center."
Volunteers were asked to wear sneakers and comfortable clothing so they would be ready to "work side by side" with the hourly employees who typically handle fulfillment in Gap. Urban's salaried employees were told that in addition to keeping customers happy with on-time deliveries, their volunteer hours would also serve as "a team building activity!" The company offered to provide transportation and lunch to its volunteers.
Following the e-mail going public, Urban replied that management had received "a tremendous response" from both salaried and hourly workers offering to volunteer at the fulfillment center. While Urban was pleased to see hourly workers willing to pitch in, it only accepted offers from those on salary, including many in the company's ranks of senior managers.
Source: workatuo.com
In a commentary on CNBC's website, Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project, writes that the company, which recently reported "record sales" for its second quarter, should be able to pay salaried workers, some of whom earn less than $35,000 a year, for the time they work in the warehouse.
Urban Outfitters is no stranger to controversy. The company has taken heat for inappropriate t-shirts, using angora rabbit fur in its fashions, and for its use of on-call shift scheduling. The company recently reached agreement with New York's Attorney General to end the practice of on-call scheduling beginning next month.
- Urban Outfitters' Fall Strategy: Asking Employees To Work For Free - Gawker
- Urban Outfitters asks employees to work for free - CNBC
- Urban Outfitters should be ashamed asking for 'volunteers - CNBC
- Urban Outfitters Reports Record Q2 Sales - Urban Outfitters, Inc.
- PETA targets Urban Outfitters over angora rabbit fur - New York Post