I've got to back Hug Monster up on this one. He and I both worked for a company that had First Officers for whom the company was paid. The company eventually ceased operating; so if they had staff working for less than nothing, and still couldn't show a profit, what was wrong?. .. .In addition, prior to ceasing trading, they were closing bases, and making people redundant (yes, the ones they had to pay were sacked!), and the working for less than nothing F/Os were still there when I was made redundant, nearly a year before the company's demise. Hence, my attitude towards the concept of people working for nothing is somewhat coloured by personal experience.