Unpaid Interns: Necessary or Slavery?
Last week, the New York Times reported that the Department of Labor will soon start cracking down on large companies that do not pay their interns. The Dept. of Labor says many employers do not follow the federal guidelines that regulate internships, and in turn, violate minimum wage laws.
Many regulators say that violations are widespread, but that it is unusually hard to mount a major enforcement effort because interns are often afraid to file complaints. Many fear they will become known as troublemakers in their chosen field, endangering their chances with a potential future employer.
In response to this article, The Atlantic decided to retroactively pay their interns, and many more companies may soon follow suit.
But while many undergraduate and graduate students complain about their unpaid internships, are they actually necessary for both student experience and the companies they work for? Or are those complaints valid and is this common practice an institutionalized form of indentured servitude?
Deva and I debate:
