The “My Job Sucks” Contest: Official Rules (September 2023)

1. Eligibility

The Work Sucks story contest (the “contest”) is open to residents of the 50 United States and D.C., who are 18 years of age or older at the time of registration and submission of entries. Employees of Work Sucks (“Sponsor”), its affiliates, subsidiaries and agencies (collectively “Promotional Partners”) and members of their immediate family or persons living in the same household are not eligible. No purchase is necessary. The contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited.

2. How to Enter

Create a written entry that describes, in narrative form, your true actually lived experience about why your job sucks. Visit our Submissions page and fill out the online entry form, then upload your narrative per the directions on the site. Narratives must be a minimum of 200 words. Only clear, intelligible and comprehensible written narratives will be accepted. All entries submitted become the sole property of Sponsor. Contest begins on September 1, 2023, 12:00 am ET. All entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. ET, September 30, 2023. Enter as often as you like, but each entry must be a unique narrative.

3. Entry Requirements

All entries must meet the following guidelines:

  1. The entry and all elements of the entry must be the entrant’s original work and previously unpublished.
  2. The entry must be a minimum of 200 words.
  3. The entry must be a true narrative of your actually lived experience.
  4. The entry must not contain material that violates or infringes another’s rights, including but not limited to material that violates privacy, publicity or intellectual property rights, or that constitutes copyright infringement.
  5. The entry must be suitable for publication and publicity purposes as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Entries must be in good taste and must not contain obscene or defamatory statements.
  6. Entrant acknowledges that Sponsor may use entry without any compensation to entrant or persons described in the entry, in any and all media, throughout the world, in perpetuity, including derivative works.
  7. Sponsor reserves the right to make determinations of suitability in its sole and absolute discretion, and to disqualify any entries it determines to be inappropriate for any of the reasons listed above, or for any other reason.

4. Judging Period and Criteria

The judging period begins on October 1, 2023 and ends October 7, 2023. Eligible entries will be judged by a panel of judges designated by the Sponsor (the “Judges”). The judges will select the winners on the basis of originality, creativity, and entertainment appeal. The judges will select one entry to win the Grand Prize. The decisions of the judges are final and may not be appealed. Entries must not have won a previous prize or award in any other contest nor been previously published and must be the entrant’s original work.

5. Winner Selection/Prize Awarding

On or about October 9, 2023, a Grand Prize winner shall be selected. The winner will be notified on or about October 16, 2023 via the email address provided in the entry form. If any prize notification is returned as undeliverable, or in the event of non-compliance with any other requirements, the prize will be forfeited in its entirety and may be awarded to an alternate. Winners agree that receiving a prize grants Sponsor the right to print, publish, broadcast, and use universe-wide in any media now known or later developed at any time or times, the winner’s name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness, and biographical information for any purpose, including but not limited to, in advertisements, publicity, and other communications without additional compensation.

6. Prizes

One (1) Grand Prize: Amazon gift card. Total approximate retail value of the Prize is $50. Limit one prize per person/family/household. Winner cannot assign or transfer the prize to another person. No prize substitution or changes are allowed except at the sole discretion of Sponsor. Prize cannot be substituted or redeemed for cash. All prizes are subject to availability. If a prize or any portion of a prize cannot be awarded due to circumstances beyond the control of Sponsor, a substitute prize may be awarded.

7. Rights in Submissions

In consideration of entrant’s submission being reviewed and evaluated for this contest, each entrant hereby grants to the Sponsor a non-exclusive, irrevocable, fully paid, universal license to use, copy, modify or make derivative works, sub-license, transmit, distribute, publicly perform, publish, delete or display such submission, or any portion thereof, in any media now known or hereafter devised including, but not limited to, all forms of television and all forms of internet and wireless protocol without any further right of approval or additional compensation. Each entrant grants Sponsor the right, but not the obligation, to use the story, characters, and any other information presented in the entry, including the name and likeness of entrant and any persons appearing in the entry, in a commercial or other advertising and publicity for Sponsor.

In connection with the submission, the entrant affirms, represents, and/or warrants that they own or have the necessary licenses rights, consents, and permissions to use and authorize Sponsor to use all patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other proprietary rights in all entries to enable inclusion and use of the entry in the manner contemplated by this contest and these Official Rules. The entrant further agrees that they will not submit material that is copyrighted, protected by trade secret, or is otherwise subject to third party proprietary rights, including privacy and publicity rights, unless the entrant is the owner of such rights or have permission from their rightful owner to submit the material and enter the contest and to grant Sponsor of all the license rights granted herein.

8. General Rules

Odds of winning depends on the number and merit of the entries. Sponsor may alter entries submitted prior to publication, if any. All income taxes resulting from acceptance of the prize are the responsibility of the winner. By entering the contest, the entrant accepts and agrees to these Official Rules and the decisions of Judges, which shall be final in all matters. By participating in this contest and/or accepting prizes, entrants agree to hold Sponsor and its affiliates, directors, officers, employees and assigns harmless against any and all claims and liability in connection with the contest, the submission, or the use or redemption of prizes, including, without limitation, bodily injury or death or the violation of the rights of any third parties. Submission of contest entry (1) constitutes permission to use winners’ names and likenesses, address (city/state), and written entry, for advertising and publicity purposes without further compensation, (2) grants Sponsor and its agents the right to modify, adapt, and/or edit entry, and (3) constitutes a representation and warranty that entrant has received permission, from any and all third parties whose rights may be implicated in the submission, for Sponsor to use the name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness, and biographical information of all persons appearing in the submission without additional compensation to such persons. Sponsor and its affiliated companies will not be responsible for lost, late, or misdirected entries or prize notices or for any typographical, or other error in the administration of the contest, or announcement of the prize. In the event of any such error, Sponsor is not responsible for late, lost, illegible, incomplete, stolen, garbled or misdirected entries, all of which are void. Entries that are incomplete, illegible or corrupted are void and will not be accepted. By entering the contest, entrant recognizes and agrees that the registration information provided by entrant will be made available to Sponsor; use of such information will be governed by Sponsor’s privacy policy found at https://worksucks.com/privacy-policy. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who is not in strict compliance with these Official Rules or to terminate, suspend, cancel or modify the contest and/or the prizes if for any reason this Contest is not capable of running as planned due to infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, fraud, unauthorized intervention, technical failures or other causes beyond the Sponsor’s control or as to render the contest impracticable or overly burdensome.

9. Indemnification, Legal Disclaimers, Jurisdiction, Limitations

Entrant shall indemnify and hold harmless the Sponsor, any Promotional Partners, and each of their respective parents, affiliates, successors, assigns and licensees, and each of their respective employees, shareholders, officers, directors, agents and representatives from and against any and all liability, claims, loss, damage, injury or expense, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising in connection with any third-party action arising out of a breach or allegation which if true would constitute a breach, of any of entrant’s representations, warranties or obligations herein.

Everything regarding this contest, including any and all information and web pages relating to this contest and all prizes, are provided “as is” without any warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

This contest and all Official Rules is governed by the internal laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In the event of any dispute arising under this contest, the sole jurisdiction and venue for dispute resolution shall be in the Circuit Court in and for Arlington County, Virginia. Entrants, by entering into this contest, irrevocably submit to the aforesaid personal and subject matter jurisdiction and venue for any and all controversy arising hereunder.

Entrant agrees that in all cases for any dispute arising under this contest and these Official Rules that the maximum aggregative liabilities of the Sponsor and Promotional Parties, under any theory of law, equity, or claim, shall be limited to my direct and actual out-of-pocket cost incurred in participating in this Contest, and in no event shall the Sponsor or the Promotional Parties be liable for any attorney’s fees. Further, by entering into this contest, Entrant agrees that any and all claims arising hereunder shall be pursued individually and under no circumstances on as a member of a class or on a class-action basis.

10. Winner

The name of the winner (available after October 16, 2023), email [email protected] with the subject “Names of Winners.” Requests must be received by October 31, 2023.

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