Ridiculous interns

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aren't unpaid internships more or less illegal now?

You want free labor to do grunt work, you get what you pay for.

No they are not "illegal." For Pete's sake people, internships allow college students to gain professional experience so that they can actually have a leg up on getting a paid job when they graduate. They may be unpaid financially but the interns are certainly gaining something valuable for their future - if you are constructing the internship in a useful way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op? You going to answer whether he is paid or not? That's pretty damn key.

It is NOT key. At all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't unpaid internships more or less illegal now?

You want free labor to do grunt work, you get what you pay for.

No they are not "illegal." For Pete's sake people, internships allow college students to gain professional experience so that they can actually have a leg up on getting a paid job when they graduate. They may be unpaid financially but the interns are certainly gaining something valuable for their future - if you are constructing the internship in a useful way.

Totally agree. I had a number of them when I was in college (worked at a restaurant at night for $) and they were invaluable and led to my first job.

Such entitlement from the younger generation!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't unpaid internships more or less illegal now?

You want free labor to do grunt work, you get what you pay for.

No they are not "illegal." For Pete's sake people, internships allow college students to gain professional experience so that they can actually have a leg up on getting a paid job when they graduate. They may be unpaid financially but the interns are certainly gaining something valuable for their future - if you are constructing the internship in a useful way.

There are huge wage/hour issues with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op? You going to answer whether he is paid or not? That's pretty damn key.

It is NOT key. At all.

+ 1000

[Anonymous]

Op again. Yep we pay our interns pretty well and have them doing substantive work.

To give him credit, I reread the email and he did offer to work at home afterwards. We do have a casual work environment, though, and I'm worried that I'm not doing enough to teach them that this type of request will not fly in most places of business and make me question professionalism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't unpaid internships more or less illegal now?

You want free labor to do grunt work, you get what you pay for.

No they are not "illegal." For Pete's sake people, internships allow college students to gain professional experience so that they can actually have a leg up on getting a paid job when they graduate. They may be unpaid financially but the interns are certainly gaining something valuable for their future - if you are constructing the internship in a useful way.

There are huge wage/hour issues with them.

No, there are not. Generally you have the intern sign a contract that states what will be expected of them. I have NEVER worked for an organization/company that tried to use interns like slave labor. You have a seriously bizarre hangup about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op again. Yep we pay our interns pretty well and have them doing substantive work.

To give him credit, I reread the email and he did offer to work at home afterwards. We do have a casual work environment, though, and I'm worried that I'm not doing enough to teach them that this type of request will not fly in most places of business and make me question professionalism.

OP, I get the eye roll. I would feel the exact same way. And I think it makes you a nice mentor to say something along the lines of "it's okay for today but make sure to be prepared in the future." That way, you're gently letting him know that this is not professional behavior but you are not being a hardass who's trying to embarrass him for asking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't unpaid internships more or less illegal now?

You want free labor to do grunt work, you get what you pay for.

No they are not "illegal." For Pete's sake people, internships allow college students to gain professional experience so that they can actually have a leg up on getting a paid job when they graduate. They may be unpaid financially but the interns are certainly gaining something valuable for their future - if you are constructing the internship in a useful way.

There are huge wage/hour issues with them.

No, there are not. Generally you have the intern sign a contract that states what will be expected of them. I have NEVER worked for an organization/company that tried to use interns like slave labor. You have a seriously bizarre hangup about this.

You should talk to an employment lawyer about this issue and look at case law. It is in the wheelhouse of many courts right now. And there is more than one person here who is saying the same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op again. Yep we pay our interns pretty well and have them doing substantive work.

To give him credit, I reread the email and he did offer to work at home afterwards. We do have a casual work environment, though, and I'm worried that I'm not doing enough to teach them that this type of request will not fly in most places of business and make me question professionalism.

So what did you say to him? Please, please don't say you let him work at home. Teach him that sometimes it rains and you have to deal. He can't leave early because it might rain.

[Anonymous]

On the one hand, I remember some of the dumb things I did as an intern. It's an opportunity for learning, and for most college kids, their first exposure to an office environment. Guide them.

At the same time, anyone remember asking to leave early before that massive midday snowstorm a few years ago when people got stuck in their cars for 10 and 12hrs trying to get home? It's not unheard of even for adults to ask for unexpected adjustments to their schedules due to Acts of God. cut him some slack!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't unpaid internships more or less illegal now?

You want free labor to do grunt work, you get what you pay for.

No they are not "illegal." For Pete's sake people, internships allow college students to gain professional experience so that they can actually have a leg up on getting a paid job when they graduate. They may be unpaid financially but the interns are certainly gaining something valuable for their future - if you are constructing the internship in a useful way.

There are huge wage/hour issues with them.

No, there are not. Generally you have the intern sign a contract that states what will be expected of them. I have NEVER worked for an organization/company that tried to use interns like slave labor. You have a seriously bizarre hangup about this.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/theemploymentbeat/2013/02/14/unpaid-intern-pay-suits-on-the-rise/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't unpaid internships more or less illegal now?

You want free labor to do grunt work, you get what you pay for.

No they are not "illegal." For Pete's sake people, internships allow college students to gain professional experience so that they can actually have a leg up on getting a paid job when they graduate. They may be unpaid financially but the interns are certainly gaining something valuable for their future - if you are constructing the internship in a useful way.

There are huge wage/hour issues with them.

No, there are not. Generally you have the intern sign a contract that states what will be expected of them. I have NEVER worked for an organization/company that tried to use interns like slave labor. You have a seriously bizarre hangup about this.

You should talk to an employment lawyer about this issue and look at case law. It is in the wheelhouse of many courts right now. And there is more than one person here who is saying the same thing.

Yup. Google the Glatt case, about an intern who sued the producers of Black Swan over being an unpaid intern. A true internship must meet certain criteria and many do not. It must be truly educational, and the work must benefit the intern more than the employer. It's pending before the Second Circuit now.

[Anonymous]

LOL. Laughing at all the "experts" here.

"OMG, it's fine. I was an unpaid intern 47 years ago!"

Here's the DOL fact sheet.

http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren't unpaid internships more or less illegal now?

You want free labor to do grunt work, you get what you pay for.

No they are not "illegal." For Pete's sake people, internships allow college students to gain professional experience so that they can actually have a leg up on getting a paid job when they graduate. They may be unpaid financially but the interns are certainly gaining something valuable for their future - if you are constructing the internship in a useful way.

There are huge wage/hour issues with them.

No, there are not. Generally you have the intern sign a contract that states what will be expected of them. I have NEVER worked for an organization/company that tried to use interns like slave labor. You have a seriously bizarre hangup about this.

There are a lot of scary employers on this board. You think that if you make an unpaid college student sign a contract where they agree to work for free that means you don't have to follow wage and hour laws?