Pearson shows it can listenFollowing the marked improvement in engagement between management and the joint chapel at Macmillan, staff at another of Oxford’s major educational publishing houses are welcoming what they perceive to be a new willingness to consult. Pearson, like many publishing companies, has been reviewing the content of its freelance contracts.
At the outset of the exercise, a number of the editorial staff who work closely with freelancers raised various concerns about the fairness of the draft new contract. They explained to their managers that they felt bad about pressurising their freelances to sign it, and were worried the contract would make their jobs difficult, as some long-term freelances, integral to the work of certain departments, were simply refusing to sign.
It took a while to see any signs that these concerns had been registered. But, in a move that was widely welcomed, the company redrafted the document, incorporating meaningful changes, and followed up with a meeting with editorial staff to examine the new draft agreement clause by clause.
The version that emerged from this exercise addresses the major concerns. “We feel much more confident about the revised contract,” said Elaine Palmer, Humanities Managing Editor. “We value the relationship we have built up with some of our freelances over many years, and it’s a relief to know we can work with a contract that is reasonable and fair.”
Could this be the start of a new era? Staff at the North Oxford site have already been through a major restructuring as Harcourt Education, in 2006. They know that a new period of change can be expected as they become integrated with the rest of the Pearson business. The hope is that the decision to consult over the new freelance contracts indicates a wider recognition of the helpful contribution that staff with the knowledge and experience of doing the job can make in evaluating which aspects of any future changes are likely to work and which could lead to problems.
AW 2008-07-01
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