Sainsbury’s in Camden Town has come under fire after advertising for an artist to redesign their canteen for free.
The offending advert was placed in the Camden New Journal and calls for “a creative and ambitious artist to voluntarily refurbish our canteen”.
Rather than offering any salary for this work, the advert says the lucky applicant can “gain experience in the creative industry whilst making our community a comfortable area for our employees to escape to.”
The advert further states the company is looking for a “diverse artist” and encourages applicants “from all ethnic backgrounds, genders and age groups to apply.”
No qualifications or experience are required for the unpaid role, and the advert had some on Twitter wondering whether it was a spoof.
The advert continued: “Happy colleagues offer great service and continued success. Your work will contribute to our success.
“Get your work recognised. Share your gift with the heart of Camden. Leave your mark by doing what you love and do best.”
The advert appeared on Thursday, and was followed by a swift Twitter backlash.
A spokesman for Sainsbury’s said: “We’re discussing this with our store in Camden. The advert was placed in the local paper following a colleague discussion around ways to improve the canteen and offer an opportunity to the local community.
“It is not our policy to hire volunteers and we are sorry for this error of judgement.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here