We’re delighted to announce that we are part of 189 organisations that are committed to paying interns the National Minimum Wage. We’ve joined the list with a number of other PR agencies including M&C Saatchi, TNR and Little Red Rooster. The initiative was put together by PR Week and the PRCA, who we work with closely. Nathaniel Cassidy, our managing director, chairs the PRCA in the North West. Here’s what he had to say:
“We jumped at the opportunity to be part of this campaign. As a smaller independent agency, interns are a vital part of how we grow. It can be tricky coming into a tight-knit group and internships give us the opportunity to see if a new employee fits with the team and vice versa. The vast majority of the team at 3ManFactory, have interned at some point and we know how hard it can be while you’re adjusting to a new team, taking on a lot of new information and adjusting to the pace of agency life, the last thing you need is the stresses of working for free, that’s why we joined the campaign.”
Proud that despite our boutique size @3manfactory are on that list. #fairpay https://t.co/y1dyQVKM2q
— Nathaniel Cassidy (@nwcassidy) January 4, 2017
A number of current members of staff at 3ManFactory started on internships with the agency, they are an important way of how we develop and nurture talent. Interns face the same day-to-day living costs that we all experience, therefore it’s essential that they earn a fair wage.
We currently have Becky Nolan interning with us at 3ManFactory. Becky started in the summer and quickly established herself within the team. Becky said, “It’s unreasonable to expect interns to work for free, especially when many aren’t living at home whilst on placement. If my placement was unpaid I’d have no choice but to get a second job for in the evenings and at weekends, which would make it a lot more difficult to focus on my job and would take away from the experience massively. Unpaid internships are unfair and leave many people at disadvantage. I think it’s extremely important for more companies to join this initiative and allow everyone the same chance at gaining vital experience”.
https://twitter.com/Lottie_Hutchins/status/816339648658214913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
You can find out more about the campaign and the other organisations involved on the news article on Gorkana.
For full details on the PRCA ‘Better Internships’ campaign visit their website.