Job creep is a phenomenon in which employers continually require increasing amounts of work relative to the normal requirements of their operations (Wikipedia)
Copy editors catch grammar and spelling errors, standardize style, and improve the clarity and flow of a piece of writing. We work on the mechanics of writing –you could say we are word mechanics who try to make writing “run” as well as possible. When I copy edit, whether a book manuscript, an article, online content, or educational material, I strive to enhance a writer’s work, helping them to say what they want to say clearly and effectively. I don’t, however, rewrite their work unless they’ve asked for a high level of editing — line or substantive.
Sounds pretty straightforward, right? But these days, I increasingly see job postings for copy editors that include requirements beyond what copy editors actually do. These postings add so many functions that they can only be called examples of job creep (also known as “scope creep”). I could cite many instances I’ve seen, but I’ll just focus on three that illustrate job creep.
“We are actively seeking a Freelance Copy Editor to collaborate with our dynamic and growing team,” begins one job posting. A key responsibility of the position is to “edit materials for adherence to company or client style, grammar, and spelling policies.” OK, that’s a copy editor function. But the freelance copy editor also must “collaborate with cross-functional teams to refine creative content, ensuring quality, consistency, and accuracy”; “conduct thorough fact-checking and verification processes to uphold the accuracy of content”; and “ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and industry-specific requirements in content editing.” Need I say that these three additional requirements are beyond the scope of copy editing tasks? It’s classic job creep — combine what should be one position’s responsibilities with those of several other positions. And — surprise, surprise–the employer expects it all to be done on the cheap, the pay range being $30 to $50 per hour.
Here’s another example of a job creep posting. The employer requires the copy editor to be responsible for “editing stories and fact checking.” Copy editors do edit stories, but fact checking is another function and a specialized skill. Copy editors can flag something that seems factually questionable, but they’re not researchers or responsible for factual accuracy.
The same posting requires “designing and building pages” and “managing the homepage.” Neither of these is a copy editor function. Requiring them is job creep.
My third and final example struck me as a particularly egregious example of job creep.
A public library wants to hire a part-time copy editor. The position has eight responsibilities, including “collaborates with graphic designers, production teams, programs and services, and other departments on marketing projects”; “delivering proofs to requestors for approval prior to printing or promotion, and follows up for feedback or final approval”; “processes jobs and materials requests, conducts thorough research and interviews and stays current on trends within the editorial sphere”; and “collaborates with designers and provides feedback on design elements.”
This employer doesn’t want a copy editor; it wants a combination editor-production manager-proofreader-designer-marketer-researcher…and for the generous remuneration of $18 to $21 per hour!
Now, I love public libraries and think they should be generously supported and protected from attempts to censor the books on their shelves. But this so-called copy editing position and the lousy pay are exploitative and insulting to professional copy editors. Not only does the posting cram in many non-copy editing functions, but the employer expects them to be done for not much more than the minimum wage in New York.
With job creep becoming much more common these days (and not only in the editing business), what’s a copy editor to do? We can, of course, refuse to apply for these positions. Maybe even let the employer know why the posting is objectionable. But although we have professional associations, we don’t have a union to fight these abuses. The Freelancers Union (I’m a member) has lots of useful services and resources for freelancers of all sorts, but it’s an advocacy organization that doesn’t enforce contracts, deal with contract violations, or set industry standards. The National Writers Union (I’m a member of that one, too) works to “promote and protect the rights, interests, and economic advancement of members; to organize writers to improve professional working conditions through collective bargaining action; and to provide professional services to members.” It doesn’t, however, seem to monitor industry practices regarding editors and the job creep phenomenon.
So, it’s up to us, the copy editors (and line and substantive editors), to keep track of these job creep jobs and bring them to the attention of our professional associations, like NAIWE, the Editorial Freelancers Association, the American Copy Editors Society, etc. Make it an issue, and maybe, just maybe, employers will take note and stop this exploitative practice.