Influencer ethics on Instagram

[MadameGrizzly]

Continuing the discussion on whether influencing on Instagram is an ethical business model, particularly around the disclosure of advertising and the over exposure of children.

AIBU to think it isn't a sustainable career unless the influencer is scrupulously ethical?

I imagine mentioning MN was like saying 'Voldemort' at that event

😂

It would have been prudent to invite the ASA to speak, I think?

Becca, do they refer to themselves as 'instamummies' or 'influencers' with a straight face?

Not at all! One or two people mentioned the IG Mumsnet backlash against #ads and how it was likely to shape social media and influencers.
It can't come soon enough for me. I'm so bored of #ads that aren't genuine. That was the advice of the bigger instainfluencer people really. If you want your brand to be successful, identify with one or two key people who represent the brand rather than just people with a following who you pay.
Incidentally the bigger instamums and influencers like Anna Mother Pukka and Clemmie seemed the most normal and genuine and comfortable in who they were. It was the smaller 'look at me I'm an influencer' ones who reaked of desperation.

if I was a mum with mental health issues I certainly wouldn't be looking for advice from a non qualified instamum...as a hcp I have professional standards to adhere to and have my registration to look out for...why would I listen to some wannabe campaigner who has no qualifications spouting spurious claims which could be very damaging to vulnerable audiences

Bit of an strange one, but someone I folllow has recently celebrated 10k and said "it has enabled me to help YOU" how? How is she helping us? I found that quite odd to be honest! (Unless i’ve missed something?)

how to request flexible working, tips on batch cooking to go back to work and doing dry runs before you go back,

Just what age and iq level is this aimed at?! I find it quite frightening there are so many women in their late 20's/30's that need "influencing" and told this basic kind of sh!t!!

I think it sounds very good value too. One day industry seminars in my industry can cost a couple of hundred quid. I was surprised when I saw the speakers how InstaMum heavy it was, because I don't believe in instamumming being presented as the solution to maternity discrimination. The focus should be, as MP is doing, on getting companies and government to change so that women (and men) can work flexibly in the careers that they have always worked in, not retraining because flexible working isn't possible (although I suppose some of that is useful if change can't happen quickly enough). Having said that, a one day seminar always has some bits that feel a bit out of whack with the overall theme of the day.

Bit of an strange one, but someone I folllow has recently celebrated 10k and said "it has enabled me to help YOU"
One I know of has set up a business helping other instagrammers to achieve what she's achieved. You have to pay her for one of her tailor made media sessions All very seriously laid out on her website (with the obligatory spelling mistakes of course, because, well, who cares...!)

The focus should be, as MP is doing, on getting companies and government to change so that women (and men) can work flexibly in the careers that they have always worked in, not retraining because flexible working isn't possible

Can MP come back on and tell me what she's achieved with her campaign so far? What companies has she changed? How many workers has she helped? What have MPs said to her? I hear story after story where flexible working isn't possible so I'm not sure her campaign is having any effect whatsoever? Of course any fool knows you can request to work flexibly but what happens then?

Garfunkel, read MPs latest post about evidence requested by the Welsh Assembly after her recent talk there and you will hear many stories of women helped by her campaign.

Re mental health - talking about mental health. Regularising and normalising that it's ok to want help. Putting it in the public eye. They were quite clear they weren't professionals offering advice. The point was made that if someone can say something to make someone seek help that's a good thing.

On flexible working there were also one on one sessions you could book with career coaches and employment lawyers plus bigger group sessions on how to get ideas and change focus. I didn't do any of the sessions (which were free) but I know people did and came out really fired up.

There was a big proportion of freelancers and creatives and a higher than average number of jumpsuits (so the queue at the loo was substantial) but overall, it was just a nice day to spend with friends. You could get out of it what you wanted.

There was a big proportion of freelancers and creatives and a higher than average number of jumpsuits (so the queue at the loo was substantial)

😂

Bit of an strange one, but someone I folllow has recently celebrated 10k and said "it has enabled me to help YOU"

I don't know how correct this is, but I've heard that once a 'normal' blogger reaches 10k followers, they can switch to a business account which means they can put the swipe up links in their stories, do 'paid promotions' and see all the analytics of who's liking their pics what their audience is.

Again, I'm not sure how that would help the general public but it's the only thing I can think of that would change when reaching 10k.

The issue with flexible working is that a request being granted is just part of the issue. My previous contract of employment (with a law firm, self employed now), stated I would work the set hours and any other hours deemed necessary. The contracts of those working reduced or part-time hours also stated that. It was not unusual to work with someone who worked and was paid for 4 days a week but worked at least the same hours as someone who worked snd was paid for 5 days a week. Lots of law firms quite like flexible working requests as they get 100% of the work for 80% of the pay;

I think law firms are often not very good at flexible working (in practice, they may have the right policies in place).

In my opinion, the MP campaign is about ego, not change. It's her USP, which means she can make money through ads. I was there yesterday and she didn't have anything really useful to say. Why doesn't she connect employers to action they can take, or pull together lists of great companies who enable flex? Why doesn't she do something to teach people how to apply for flex? Because it's a blimmin talking shop. In contrast, PTS has a free legal advice line and a clear campaign with goals and is really brilliant. There were some excellent speakers yesterday, with real advice. I don't know what qualifies the instamums to be there though. Also, it was regrettably homogenous (presenters and attendees) - white and middle class (although there is no doubt that mat discrimination affects us all).

Law firms are terrible at flexible working as (a) lots of lawyers view change with suspicion (b) lots of female partners have been promoted by being more like the male partners than they are - ie working longer hours so think other female employees could and should do that (c) work with clients who wont accept flexible working (d) have time recording systems and pay rates etc based kn how much time a lawyer records and not the quality of it

But lots of businesses are like that too - to achieve true equality, it's not just a case of getting flexible working request approved. Rightly or wrongly, employees need to be made aware of thw various issues that can impact on their career if they do to ensure they can make a really informed choice about careers

Having talks on batch cooking really does not help either the perception or the value of these events and ingrains more of the stereotypes that campaings like these should be looking to eradicate. I highly doubt that anything like that would be raised at a male return to work event. Google has tons of recipes or a leaflet in a hand out pack. When time is pressing to discuss big substantive issues, batch cooking is not one of them

Batch cooking

Re law firms, depends on your clients. Mine work flexibly so we can too, and only required to meet our reduced target. But not paid as well as male colleagues.

Reboot. I'm a lawyer too. I agree law firms seem the worst offenders in terms of flexible working.
My old firm offered fixed hours where the provision for extra hours necessary was removed from the contract but there was a deduction of 5% of salary each day. They rarely gave the flex on this basis on business need. They did 4 days. The type of 4 days where you'd be expected to check your email on your day off and if you didn't respond within a few hours were 'slacking'. That is just a culture of each team though rather than the firm itself. I imagine HR are as frustrated by crusty partners who don't comply with policies as much as their employees.
I've now moved 'out' and have a much better work life balance. So it's not all law firms.
The other gripe is recruitment agents. I was told not to mention PT or flex at interviews but the firm itself said at interview 'we assume you'll want flexible working and we want you to know we are fully supportive'. It's like MP was saying about Deloittes yesterday - transparency and communication is totally key.

@Gobbo agreed and that’s part of the campaign. It’s not focused solely on ensuring everyone gets flexible working - but ironing out the issues once it has been granted. Ensuring that those who secure flexible working aren’t, for example, doing 5 days in 4 for less money. (I hear mostly from lawyers in that regard.) Otherwise companies are simply getting more bang for their buck. In terms of measuring the campaign, we are in the process of doing that now ahead of filing evidence for the Welsh Assembly. In the meantime some feedback from our followers can be seen on the latest Flex Appeal post. It’s certainly not a perfect set-up but since launch in Jan 2016 we have had 234 companies sign the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Working Forward pledge - to end maternity discrimination and promote flexibility in the workforce. Companies include BP, Nationwide, John Lewis and Virgin Money to name a few. Our focus is to go into companies and educate them on the issue, the pledge and try and follow up along the way once they’ve signed it. It’s useful when I post ‘John Lewis has signed the pledge’ on Instagram and then I hear reams of stories about what’s actually going on here - which can be fed back to the EHRC. Transparency is key. But it is a huge, sprawling issue and one I often struggle to tackle in the confines of Instagram squares. Our next meeting with Whitehall is on 15 May and I always report on what has been said so you can read my posts. As some posters have said here before, I certainly don’t think I’ve ‘come up with’ the concept of flexible working - and I’m not doing this to simply tack a cause onto my brand. If anything, we have lost a significant amount of work because we are deemed ‘too political’. But as Whitehall said to us last month, the best place to start with this issue is in shifting mindsets. The carrot not the stick approach. The slightly unrelated example he used was a child telling his mother not to get him a straw because ‘they kill turtles’. There is, hopefully, a power in educating in the absence of clear legislation forcing the issue. We would love both ideally. Anyhow, I have said many times, we are a work in progress trying to make some progress. To answer a poster on a previous thread, we are, indeed setting up Flex Appeal as a CIC.

Having talks on batch cooking really does not help either the perception or the value of these events and ingrains more of the stereotypes that campaings like these should be looking to eradicate.

Couldn't agree more. It's downright embarrassing.

And there wasn't a big focus on batch cooking so let's not get distracted by that. It was as much of a throw away comment as the one about jumpsuits

I suspect that's why MP wouldn't pull together a list of companies that support flex, because the reality of how they operate is often different to the policy. I've seen enough comments on her posts to see that she realises that what you see is not always what you get.

Agree re the batch cooking. The company I used to work for did a women in business focused session and the first one was about what to wear. I never went back.