Facebook Exec’s Nonprofit Criticized for Seeking Unpaid Help

LeanIn.org, the foundation started by Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg to advocate for women in the workplace, has come under fire over an employee’s online solicitation for unpaid labor, The Wall Street Journal writes.

Jessica Bennett, a LeanIn editor, posted a message to her Facebook followers Wednesday seeking a “HIGHLY organized” person with “editorial and social chops” who would be willing to work for free. The post swiftly drew hundreds of critical comments on the social network and condemnation from intern-rights advocates. Ms. Bennett later said she was soliciting for volunteer help, not an intern.

Many nonprofit groups have unpaid interns, but online commenters and other critics zeroed in on what some characterized as the irony of LeanIn seeking free help. Ms. Sandberg’s book, Lean In, counsels women to demand pay commensurate with their work, and she recently made $91-million in a Facebook stock sale.