November 17, 2011 | 9:57 AM | By

Unpaid Internships and the Luxury of Working for Free

Two unpaid interns are suing Fox Searchlight Pictures for not adequately compensating them for their work, and the outcome could have broader implications for all unpaid interns.

D.C. draws legions of interns every summer, many of whom are unpaid. Taking such internships may be viewed as necessary in order to build a career, but it’s not an option for everyone; middle and low income young people may not be able to afford to work for free. Working as an unpaid intern is particularly challenging in a city like D.C. where the cost of living is high.


Internships have become an almost essential first step on the career ladder, says Phil Gardner, who directs the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University. He says companies don’t pay interns because they can get away with it.

“Nobody’s been called on this. And in economic times when you’re cutting the bottom line and meeting your third quarter, I think the rationale is, ‘Why pay anything for them?’ ” he says.

Gardner says interns don’t know what to expect from employers or what laws they might be breaking. Since interns hope to land a paid position, they aren’t very likely to file complaints.

Read more at: www.npr.org

  • Post_pie

    We can complain!

    I’ve been an unpaid intern. I’ve been thinking we should all go on strike.

  • Post_pie

    We can complain!

    I’ve been an unpaid intern. I’ve been thinking we should all go on strike.

  • Rachael Glaser

    There are legal guidelines in the US regarding the legality of unpaid internships. Under certain conditions, such as when the intern does not replace a regular employee, it is considered legal . There are also guidelines regarding the learning environment and the opportunity that the intern has for training and education. In terms of overseas internships, NGOs in foreign countries are often cash strapped and unable to pay interns, especially as these countries have high unemployment rates and there is pressure to employ local people. If students want to get experience overseas it may be necessary to accept an unpaid position or apply for funding at home to provide for costs overseas. There is a good idea floating around that very low interest loans should be provided to students and new graduates. http://www.connect2capetown.com