Image release forms at work

[Saluki]

Hi all.
I am due to start a new temporary role on Monday. Yesterday (at 5.30) I was sent 7 documents to fill in and a link to 3 onboarding compulsory courses, total time to do 7 hours, they tell me. 😮
There is an image release form that must be signed and dated. This is so can use my image in current and future promo stuff for their company. I am unhappy about this, in the extreme. Does anyone know if this is something that I have to sign, to work for a company? Any company? It’s only a call centre thingy while I find something more suitable.
If it’s a deal breaker, I will walk away, but I am wondering if they can demand it.

In the meantime, I am off out on my roadie and not doing 7 hours of pre-temp assignment course. The sun is shining and I don’t get paid for those 7 hours.
Possibly, I am just being selfish.

 

[Oldhippy]

I would walk away too personally if they insisted.

 

[welsh dragon]

I would tell them to jog on. They don't have the right to insist on that kind of personal intrusion

 

[cyberknight]

i always find it odd that they insist on forms be filled in on your time, like mrs ck has to do "training " online unpaid

 

[Brandane]

I wouldn't be in the least bit bothered about the image release form thing, but I would be extremely peed off with any company who expected me to do 7 hours of unpaid training prior to taking on a temporary job. And given less than 3 days notice to get it done, it seems.
Run away and don't look back....

 

[Saluki]

Thanks all.
I have hidden, very successfully, from my family and ex husband, and I don’t want to be found. Neurotic? Possibly but the catalogue of harm done for the first 16years of my life and veiled, and not so veiled, threats, on and off, since, have made me cautious.
I am quite good at vanishing when needs be. It’s not a great way to live but a wonderful way of not accumulating too much stuff. I look nothing like my avatar pic, by the way.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Hi all.
I am due to start a new temporary role on Monday. Yesterday (at 5.30) I was sent 7 documents to fill in and a link to 3 onboarding compulsory courses, total time to do 7 hours, they tell me. 😮
There is an image release form that must be signed and dated. This is so can use my image in current and future promo stuff for their company. I am unhappy about this, in the extreme. Does anyone know if this is something that I have to sign, to work for a company? Any company? It’s only a call centre thingy while I find something more suitable.
If it’s a deal breaker, I will walk away, but I am wondering if they can demand it.

In the meantime, I am off out on my roadie and not doing 7 hours of pre-temp assignment course. The sun is shining and I don’t get paid for those 7 hours.
Possibly, I am just being selfish.

I've often been on the other side of this because we have such a form for clients in our programmes, and I take pains to make sure people understand they don't have to sign our forms.

As you say, you have very good reasons for not wanting to be visible online, so don't sign it, send it back and see what happens.

Inciidentally, I'm not on Farcebook for the same reason; I went to school with some rather unpleasant people and have no desire to be found by them.

 

[Julia9054]

But the neurotic get upset about a photo of them appearing in public

So do victims of domestic violence. But I guess they are just neurotic too.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

It's a simple waiver so that they could potentially use images of their workplace if they chose to, without the possibility of someone in the background complaining about their privacy. It's just arse covering, you're not going to be plastered all over billboards as the new unpaid face of Carl's Call Centre ltd.

I'm all for privacy but I think that making a fuss over this basic clause, or even turning down the job would be choosing a very weird hill to die on.

 

[Brandane]

I look nothing like my avatar pic, by the way.

You've dyed your hair since that photo was taken??

 

[DCLane]

As @Andy in Germany has put - respond with the correct forms filled in except the image one. That needs a short supporting letter stating that due to personal safety reasons you are unable to agree with this.

That should be enough to satisfy them. You're not the only one who chooses appropriately not to sign it because they don't want to be found and imo a call centre isn't a role that will see you facing actual people so shouldn't be an issue for the organisation. If it is then that'd be a concern as to whether I'd want to work for them.

 

[DRM]

You’ve just answered your own question don’t give permission, you have a legitimate reason, if they need a staff picture they need to make sure you are not in it, there’s plenty of local government departments who don’t allow photos for the exact reasons you gave, the Facebook brigade think it’s just unfair

 

[Saluki]

Thanks all. I had a bit of a panic about it. Only just gone 9 and it’s already been one of those days 🙂

 

[alicat]

Say no to the form - they have no right to insist on it. I bet the training takes an hour tops, especially if you google the answers while you are doing the training.

 

[Andy in Germany]

As @Andy in Germany has put - respond with the correct forms filled in except the image one. That needs a short supporting letter stating that due to personal safety reasons you are unable to agree with this.

That's a good point; our law gives us effective copyright over our face, and it's held culturally as very important. In fact, companies even being allowed to ask is seen as a bit of an infringement by some people. If the UK law is different this letter would certainly cover you, and tell the company to mind their own business about the reasons.