Ethicial for a company to solicit its employees for free voiceovers?

[MaryElaine]

Do you think it's ethical for a successful company (operating well in the black) to ask its employees to do voiceovers in educational videos? The company once employed professionals, but now wishes to save money. I declined, as I have done voice over work professionally in the past and feel it undermines my talent and skill to ask me to provide it without reimbursement.

[Yonie]

I think it's up to the employees to put a value on their worth and then either say "yes" or "no". They should not be obliged to do it.

[RickRileyVoice]

Not sure I'm getting the drift here. Providing it's not unethical or immoral, why should an employee balk at an employer's request if the employee is on the clock and getting paid? If the employer wanted someone who was a good writer to compose an ad, should an employee who's been a professional copywriter balk becuase he''s done it before, or step up to the plate and say, "I can do that. I've had a lot of experience in that field".

I'm guessing the employer is not asking anyone to work overtime without being paid. The employer is paying employees to do various jobs, and VO certainly is a job. So I would think the employee who has the skill to help the employer get the job done and steps up to the plate to do so, would be an employee that would be a standout and one well worth the employer keeping employed. Perhaps even promoting.

Just my opinion.

[Jacoby]

In my early days as a starting VO artist I did something like this without extra pay. I was working as a sound engineer at a small-market local TV-station and did a few voiceover jobs, one was a rather huge narration job for a documentary. At that time I looked at it as practice, and something I could use to market myself later. Had I been asked today I probably wouldn't have done it if I weren't paid extra for the effort.
I think the question is; is it part of the job-description? If you had a job at an office and had prior experience as say, a carpenter or interior painter, would you be willing to do construction or interior decoration work without getting paid extra?

So, I'm with Yonie on this one. If asked, you should feel free to decline if it's not in your job description. But I'm sure some would look at it as a fun experience. Some would probably even think: "hey, this is quite fun, maybe I could do this as a part-time job professionally??" :)

[jsgilbert]

Here's the why not. The compensation isn't appropriate. You may be on the clock, getting $37.50 per hour to do an engineering job. You are then asked to be an actor and paid the same $37.50, but are doing a job that may actually have previously budgeted $100 - $500 per hour.

As an audio director, I may get a day rate of $800. If I am asked to do voices for the project, I an not on the clock as a director, but as an actor, which generally pays 3 to 4 times higher.

Let's hire top surgeons to be janitors, but ask them to perform some operations since they're on the clock.

[FLZapped]

Here's the why not. The compensation isn't appropriate. You may be on the clock, getting $37.50 per hour to do an engineering job. You are then asked to be an actor and paid the same $37.50, but are doing a job that may actually have previously budgeted $100 - $500 per hour.

You are forgetting a few things. 1) Your company pays your Workman's Compensation. 2) Most companies pay for your health insurance. 3) Many companies subsidize your retirement in one way or another. Those add up to a huge amount of money you are not considering that an independent VO Artist must pay out of pocket. Besides, not everything is about money.

[Elaine]

Hello all! "MaryElaine" here. I was not able to remember my password, and got locked out. So, set up a new registration just to be able to log back in and thank you for the great discussion that followed my original question. (And, this has bothered me from the beginning, as I am a spelling nut: ETHICAL. That was a typo I never went back to correct.)

Since I posted, my company has made a couple of elearning projects using staff members who volunteered. None of these volunteers have voice over training or experience. None of these volunteers have acting degrees (as I do) nor have they ever participated in an industrial, a voice-over, a radio or television spot, or hosted a nationally syndicated television show (PM Magazine). I have done all of these things. None of these people have stage acting experience. I have been in dozens of plays and have won awards for some of my performances. This information is directed at the person who wondered what MY background was for doing this type of work.

The quality of these elearning modules is mixed. Some of the speaking voices are very good, but words are slurred and elided, much as we do in everyday speech. To this criticism, I was told "We want to make it sound natural, like real people talking." My response: that's all well and good, but a trained and talented actor can do that and pronounce the words correctly at the same time. And it's essential to do that because your customer in another country taking the course, or even someone in North America from another region than the 'actor,' may not understand the word if it's pronounced lazily.

I think I need to be more specific about my concern: it's not that I was being asked to do something for free that professionals do for a fee, it's that my company thinks this skillset does not require specific training, talent and experience. They do not recognize it as a profession in its own right. That REALLY PISSES ME OFF.

Thanks for all your comments. I really appreciate them.

[Elaine]

WorkERS Comp.

[Elaine]

I am sitting at my desk, listening to someone in the elearning department, talking to a voice over artist on the phone! She says that 'we've been using internal staff,' but it appears that's not working out. :) :) :) :) So, the reason for my starting this thread has been rendered moot. I am so pleased.

[RickRileyVoice]

If asked, you should feel free to decline if it's not in your job description.

When I'm en employer, I look to reward those who go the extra mile. And I look to replace those who have a habit of quoting their 'job description'.