A wonderful article on unpaid interns.
For years companies have used interns to do the hard work that most employees get paid to do, all in the name of 'learning the ropes'.
I've seen many young people work as interns while describing their jobs as hard work, while getting great benefits.... like people around celebrities, being around professional athletes, learning a new industry, getting college credits, etc. - all without the benefit of bringing home a paycheck.
Of course, there are paid internships. Some even pay for housing. If your company falls into that category, you're exempt from this piece.
We're talking about the companies who use mostly college students as unpaid interns. Here's how it works.
Unpaid internships are considered legal only if they are truly structured educational experiences for the benefit of the intern rather than the company and offer no promise of a job after the internship ends.
Granted, being an intern is like skipping college to learn, in real time, what you could (or would) pay for in the classroom. It's O.T.J. (on the job training) - all in the name of saving businesses thousands of dollars.
Until now.
Supporters say the law should be enforced and companies should not get free labor.
The Obama administration agrees.
The Labor Department, oddly enough with its own advertisment for interns - says it's illegal for millions of students to spend a summer, semester or year learning the inside of a private sector industry for school credit without pay. (More here).
Interesting.
Does that include the many White House interns who are working in the Obama administration? Granted, it is a hot ticket - perhaps the hottest in town if you can get it. But wouldn't you like to get paid? Especially in this climate of high unemployment?
Just asking.
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For years companies have used interns to do the hard work that most employees get paid to do, all in the name of 'learning the ropes'.
I've seen many young people work as interns while describing their jobs as hard work, while getting great benefits.... like people around celebrities, being around professional athletes, learning a new industry, getting college credits, etc. - all without the benefit of bringing home a paycheck.
Of course, there are paid internships. Some even pay for housing. If your company falls into that category, you're exempt from this piece.
We're talking about the companies who use mostly college students as unpaid interns. Here's how it works.
Unpaid internships are considered legal only if they are truly structured educational experiences for the benefit of the intern rather than the company and offer no promise of a job after the internship ends.
Granted, being an intern is like skipping college to learn, in real time, what you could (or would) pay for in the classroom. It's O.T.J. (on the job training) - all in the name of saving businesses thousands of dollars.
Until now.
Supporters say the law should be enforced and companies should not get free labor.
The Obama administration agrees.
The Labor Department, oddly enough with its own advertisment for interns - says it's illegal for millions of students to spend a summer, semester or year learning the inside of a private sector industry for school credit without pay. (More here).
Interesting.
Does that include the many White House interns who are working in the Obama administration? Granted, it is a hot ticket - perhaps the hottest in town if you can get it. But wouldn't you like to get paid? Especially in this climate of high unemployment?
Just asking.
Related
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