CSR - Tesco leads firms having second thoughts about unpaid work experience scheme

Big retailers like Tesco, Argos and Arcadia group have abandoned the government’s “sector-based work academy scheme”. The scheme, which lets those on unemployment benefit work for a period without losing payments, is a cornerstone of the government’s strategy to address long-term unemployment amongst the young.

Why the withdrawal? Mainly as a result of bad publicity, fuelled by social media, claiming that the scheme is nothing more than “slave labour”. An interesting example of how big brands are increasingly sensitive to their corporate social responsibility reputation.

This news clip from Channel4 explains the issue in more detail: