Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

OMG you are so uptight DC. Unclench.

Have fun getting sued! Maybe it will even be a class action!

Wow. You really ARE an asshat. I've hired interns under contracts. You sign a contract saying that you will work XX hours/week for 8 weeks for $0 but XX hours of class credit doing XYZ activities, you have NO leg to stand on in court. That's basic contract law, dipshit.

Yeah, I am the dipshit. You do realize you can't contract around a lot of statutory requirements, right?! I suggest you call up your friendly local employment lawyer.

Anonymous wrote:What is up with the "bullshit" poster? I did unpaid internships and they absolutely helped me get a real job. The point of an internship is to gain experience. The last company I worked for paid interns once they had completed their required hours for school. And it's not bullshit that in a lot of work places it wouldn't fly. So just because you were able to leave work before the storm everyone can? You are very self-oriented.

Well, that's one way of putting it. . .

Sounds unenforceable to me, if the contract was stipulating something illegal in the first place.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

OMG you are so uptight DC. Unclench.

Have fun getting sued! Maybe it will even be a class action!

Wow. You really ARE an asshat. I've hired interns under contracts. You sign a contract saying that you will work XX hours/week for 8 weeks for $0 but XX hours of class credit doing XYZ activities, you have NO leg to stand on in court. That's basic contract law, dipshit.

Or maybe they're finally getting wise and realizing these unpaid opportunities are generally bullshit.

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.

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

Yeah, let's talk after a judge has ruled. I'm sure these companies are quaking in their boots that a few litigious kids (or more likely their parents like "bullshit" poster upthread) have more time and money, and entitlement on their hands than they know what to constructively do with.

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=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.[/quote]

Bullshit again. I took leave and got my kid. We were safe at home when that crap happened yesterday. [/quote]

Maybe he is from Arizona so rain is kind of foreign and scary? Yesterday's thunderstorm was pretty ridiculous. [/quote]

Unless the majority of team members in your office are leaving to beat the sorry, I would say no and as so done suggested, offer hi a few minutes to go out and get an umbrella. He needs to look around at the rest of the company and do as others are doing. It is a rain storm, he can stay late to avoid it, get an umbrella or suffer a tiny bit. No big deal and no leaving early!

Anonymous wrote:

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.

OMG you are so uptight DC. Unclench.

Have fun getting sued! Maybe it will even be a class action!

What is up with the "bullshit" poster? I did unpaid internships and they absolutely helped me get a real job. The point of an internship is to gain experience. The last company I worked for paid interns once they had completed their required hours for school. And it's not bullshit that in a lot of work places it wouldn't fly. So just because you were able to leave work before the storm everyone can? You are very self-oriented.

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.

OMG you are so uptight DC. Unclench.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Bullshit again. I took leave and got my kid. We were safe at home when that crap happened yesterday.

"That crap" was like a 20-minute thunderstorm.

Do they not have rain where you're from?

Anonymous wrote: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!

A snowstorm that will mess up traffic for hours is a LOT different from a thunderstorm that will pass in 20-30 minutes. The intern's excuse was that he forgot an umbrella (was not prepared), not that he'd get stuck for 10-12 hours do to an act of god.

I agree though that this is a teachable moment and OP should have responded "If you can purchase/borrow an umbrella, I prefer you to stay until the end of your shift. If that's not possible today, you can leave, but please be prepared next time -- it is expected in our office that you are here and working unless there is an actual weather emergency."

[quote=Anonymous][quote=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.[/quote]

Bullshit again. I took leave and got my kid. We were safe at home when that crap happened yesterday. [/quote]

Maybe he is from Arizona so rain is kind of foreign and scary? Yesterday's thunderstorm was pretty ridiculous.

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.

Bullshit again. I took leave and got my kid. We were safe at home when that crap happened yesterday.

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.

bullshiut