There comes a time in each college student’s academic endeavors when internship application season rolls around. One of the most frequently asked questions related to the search is, “Is the internship paid?”
The contributions of the intern are reliant on the employer’s job description when addressing the role and duties the intern is expected to complete. The tasks to be completed by the intern should match the pay rate the organization provides.
From a hiring standpoint, if an employer is transparent about the pay rate they are offering when interviewing interns, it immediately builds rapport between the organization and the intern. Paid internships signal to applicants that organizations value an applicant’s talent and potential.
“Consequently, employers will notice a different level of quality, time and productivity from interns,” Forbes said in an article.
It’s not to say that interns who are not paid do not work as hard as interns who are paid; however, being compensated for one’s time and work adds to the commitment to working to a higher degree.
Legal hurdles do exist, and Business News Daily said, “Even legal unpaid internships tread a fine line of compliance, where failure is costly.”
The Fair Labor Standards Act outlines when interns are considered employees and are entitled to minimum wage.
The Department of Labor also suggests interns are considered employees if they contribute to the organization, in the form of completing work, rather than for their own educational benefit. Therefore, it should be a baseline requirement that if the intern is completing work they should be paid.
Interns can be expected to work anywhere from 15 to 40 hours a week, depending on the employer’s needs. Internships should most definitely be paid if the organization expects the intern to fulfill similar responsibilities to a salary-based employee.
Small businesses or nonprofits may not have the room in their budgets to pay interns, this is a circumstance in which interns should receive academic credit, provided by the small business or nonprofit, that fulfills a requirement at their university or institution.
Due to developing job markets in various industries, organizations have found that in order to remain competitive and more attractive, paid internship opportunities are attracting high-caliber candidates.
Retention remains a large part of why organizations take on interns for a summer or part of a year. By the time an intern has completed their time with an organization, and may have been short-lived, they know the ins and outs of their role and could take on a full-time position. Besides, a former intern would rather return to a place of work where they were compensated rather than one where they were not.
Internships should be paid. Especially in the tight job market that exists today, college students on the hunt for a part-time role will feel motivated and encouraged to work when they are compensated. If an organization does not have the means to pay an intern, then it can establish a system in which the intern can receive academic credit.
Daphne Graeter is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Daphne know by emailing her at dg422421@ohio.edu.
