So I was recently reading a really good article provided by someone in my Google+ circle that pointed out how important it is for small business people to hire help early so that they can free themselves from “busy work” and focus on growing their businesses. And, seeing that it is already June, I couldn't help think that this is the right time for many of us to get some interns into the office to help out. They get experience and we get some short-term labor for free or at reasonable price. This is a win-win right? Not exactly.
As it turns out, things have changed since my days of interning at law firms during the summer. Though I was lucky enough to get paid a really good salary, many of my classmates deliberately worked for free so that they could get their foot in the door of some of the most prestigious organizations in our field. However, according to Gabrielle Karol, unless you are a non-profit organization, interns can no longer choose to do this, unless:
"1) The internship… is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment;
2) The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;
3) The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;
4) The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;
5) The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and
6) The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship."
These rules were provided by the The Department of Labor but they only apply to for-profit enterprises. Non-profits and government agencies are exempt so they can still benefit from the free labor of interns.
So, what do you think? Do you think the potential for free labor is worth the risk of possibly violating one of the DOL’s rules? Just so you know what to expect, Ms. Karol uses a restaurant as an example in her article: “If you have an unpaid intern from a culinary school, you’d be responsible for giving them ingredients, teaching them how to prepare a dish and overseeing the preparation – all in the name of providing an educational experience. ‘But at the end of the day, if they do it right, you can’t sell it’”.
My opinion? Just pay your interns as you would a normal employee – most will work for minimum wage and no benefits. If you are close to a college or university, your intern may even continue to work for you part-time through the year if you need long-term help. This can also be an easy way to build goodwill with the college administrators who may eventually help you promote your business among their alumni base.
