http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/mar/26/interns-unpaid-work-tuc
One in three interns works for nothing, says TUC
Employers accused of breaking the law and exploiting young people desperate to find work in the recession
Richard Wachman, The Guardian, Friday 26 March 2010
Interns are often seen as free labour but if it does not just involve work shadowing it should qualify for payment, the TUC says. Photograph: RubberBall/Alamy
As many as one in three interns are working for nothing with employers exploiting young people who are desperate to get on the jobs ladder.
A report from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) says the number and range of internships in the UK have increased considerably in recent years, particularly in the recession, and interns are now a regular feature in many industries.
But it warns that many employers have sought to take advantage of graduates’ desperation to find work in the economic downturn and see interns as a useful source of free labour. Others may be unaware that non-payment of interns is a breach of the law and of national minimum wage rules.
The National Union of Journalists found that almost 80% of members undertaking work experience and who had their work published had received no fee. The broadcast union Bectu claims that unpaid work in film and TV is rife, and a third of the 6,000 internships advertised by employers on the government’s Graduate Talent Pool website are unpaid.
Key aspects of employment law governing the minimum wage, working time and paid holidays make clear that only strictly defined “volunteers” and “voluntary workers” are exempt from these rights, says the TUC. Any intern who is undertaking work-related tasks, with set hours and a duty to turn up and do the work, is probably defined in law as a “worker” and is therefore eligible for the minimum wage. The TUC believes any internship that does not just involve observation and work shadowing should qualify for payment.
As the use of internships becomes more widespread, the TUC is concerned that jobs in popular career destinations such as journalism, advertising, film, television and public relations are becoming the exclusive domain of middle-class people from affluent backgrounds. Only those young people whose parents have the means to support them – often for months on end – can afford to work for nothing.
The TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, said: “Whether they are unscrupulous or genuinely unaware of the rules, too many employers are ripping off talented young people by employing them in unpaid internships that are not only unfair but, in most cases, probably illegal.
“Internships can be a positive experience and offer a kick-start to a career that many young people value. But as more and more graduates are being forced to turn to internships in place of traditional entry-level jobs, we’re concerned that a growing number of interns are at risk of real exploitation.
“It is vital that we crack down on those internships that offer little but hard graft for no reward. Employers need to know that there’s no such thing as free labour.”
Alex Try, co-founder of Interns Anonymous, said: “Every day we are contacted by interns and ex-interns who have been treated terribly in the workplace. It’s high time interns knew their rights, so we wholeheartedly welcome this TUC initiative.”
The TUC is launching a new website, http://www.rightsforinterns.org.uk, that explains what rights interns should expect, allows them to share their experiences and explains the benefits of joining a union.
Case study: Jake
I’ve been working as an “intern” in a business organisation for the past three months. Technically, I should be getting some specific experience and in fairness I have been. The trouble is all the other stuff I’ve been asked to do. Like organise and book my boss’s holiday, book restaurants for his friends, find tickets for shows, go to the supermarket, squeeze fruit into juice for five hours for a cocktail party and so on.
My boss once made me go to the cash machine, and the most recent outrage was to ask me to track down a certain kind of foodstuff as a gift for some friends. This saga has started to haunt my waking and sleeping. I’m so stressed about it that I’m almost weeping in frustration. This is compounded by being sent texts about work at 9pm on a Sunday evening. I have a master’s from Durham and this is what I’m reduced to.
Like an idiot, or a masochist, I take it, partly because I’ve been brought up to be helpful and partly because I’m so desperate for a job now that I’d probably morris dance naked on the House of Commons roof if it meant someone would offer me one. I’m terrified that any refusal will lead to a terrible reference, so my boss can dangle the prospect of a permanent position at the end of this stint (which, incidentally, has no official end date, so I could be working for free forever or until I find another job), ensuring that I never refuse to do anything, no matter how absurd or mundane.
Is Free Fair? 