Unpaid internships are unfair and should offer at least minimum wage
Many students are gearing up for graduation and internships as summer approaches.
Internships are a great way for students to get their foot into the working world.
But take warning: not all internships are paid, and it can be hard to get by without a steady income.
While experience and networking are the keys to success for any career, working for free shouldn’t be part of the equation.
If employers want the most out of their interns, they should pay them at least minimum wage.
From an employer’s standpoint, hiring an unpaid intern is a great way to get work done and save money, especially in harsh economic times.
Who doesn’t want an employee they don’t need to offer health care benefits to? In the long run, though, this ideology backfires on an employer and can easily turn into an unwise investment.
Students are less likely to work as hard if they aren’t compensated. Overall, the lack of pay shows employers don’t value potential employees.
From a student’s viewpoint, the lure of an unpaid internship lies with the experience and connections that will be gained.
But working for free is not feasible, considering students are living off of loans and working multiple part-time jobs while attending class.
There are six federal guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Labor that employers must meet in order to higher an unpaid intern.
Among the guidelines are specifications that “The training is for the benefit of the trainees” and “The training is similar to what would be given in a vocational school or academic educational instruction.”
This means forcing an unpaid intern to copy papers all day or be a company janitor isn’t just immoral, it’s illegal.
The biggest compensation that employers have for unpaid interns is college credit. But even this is faulty, as college credit is nowhere near comparable to a paycheck.
Some students may only be able to get an unpaid internship. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It shows the individual is passionate about the job.
Experience can speak volumes, and the willingness to do it without compensation shows employers that students aren’t just about the money.
A student will no doubt work hard during an internship, regardless of whether a paycheck is involved. But at the end of the day, work should be compensated. Yes, experience is key to any career, but it shouldn’t be gained through exploitation.
Minimum wage should be applied to all jobs, even internships for students.
