[View the story "Show me the money" on Storify ]Show me the money Are unpaid internships unfair? Storified by The Stream · Thu, Jan 17 2013 10:36:43
Although unpaid internships are a long-standing tradition,
recent lawsuits are begging the question: Are unpaid internships a rite of passage, or an unfair practice? Is Generation Y merely whining, or is society on the brink of addressing a true injustice?
How to Save Money During an Unpaid Internshiphowcast
As the video satirically depicts, unpaid interns are prone to experiencing adversity. Some argue, however, that the benefits outweigh the costs.
@AJStream I learned more from #internships than I ever did in college #AJStreamDorothy
@AJStream #MyUnpaidInternship was basically slave labor but I got a good résumé builder from it.Daniela Kenzie
And to some, taking on an unpaid internship is proof of dedication:
@JournalistsLike Every journalist should have at least 1 unpaid internship. If you can't work for free... You probably don't love the field.Andrea Hubbell
In response to potential internship regulation brought on by the
Charlie Rose lawsuit, former media executive Steven Cohen wrote:
College students will lose out on important benefits, from seeing how companies really work to building important skills and gaining exposure to people who might hire them.online.wsj.com
Some who stand in opposition to unpaid internships feel the greatest offense lies in the unfair advantage given to those who can afford to work without pay:
@AJStream Unpaid internships exclude those who can't work for free. While they can be crucial in building career, they discriminate by classDaniel Plaut
Internaware
Others feel, regardless of its wide acceptance into societal practice, the whole idea of an unpaid internship is unjust.
@AJStream Internships consisting of unenlightening grunt labor should be called "indentured servitude" - and made illegal. #ajstreamEric Garland
What is not commonly known is that laws already exist in the
United States and the
United Kingdom regulating appropriate labor payment. In many cases unpaid internships are actually illegal, but few speak up. Here, a former unpaid intern chooses to remain anonymous out of fear of being blacklisted by the fashion industry; an industry that relies heavily on unpaid interns.
Fashion Intern interviewLibby Page
In the United Kingdom, a trend has begun in support of unpaid interns who feel they are unable to speak out on behalf of themselves.
Intern Aware , a national campaign for fair, paid internships publicly shames organizations advertising unpaid positions:
Hi @organicpharmacy, asking someone to work for free on a "six month contract" isn't legal and it isn't natural. http://www.fashionmonitor.com/Jobs/38/PR-Marketing-Intern-The-Organic-PharmacyIntern Aware
Hi @theritzlondon. This HR internship excludes people who can't afford to work for free. You can afford to pay. https://www.jobtrain.co.uk/theritz/DisplayJob.aspx?pageno=0&htmlpage=JobDisplay&Jobid=17800&txtKeywords=&chkCategory=&lstRegion=&chkSalary=&chksubject=&optMatch=&clientid=78&AttachedSAF=0&PageFrom=0Intern Aware
Outraged that the publicly funded @BFI use legions of unpaid interns? Sign the petition for fair pay here. http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/the-british-film-institute-bfi-stop-using-unpaid-interns-and-help-give-young-people-like-me-a-fair-chanceIntern Aware
In case you missed it, here's the @guardian article by @shivmalik1 on us winning back £1800 for Harrods' unpaid intern http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/dec/18/harrods-unpaid-intern-minimum-wageIntern Aware
Advertising for unpaid internships in the United Kingdom may be illegal soon. You can track the progress of a bill that's on the UK Parliament's docket
here .
Good on @HazelBlearsMP for introducing a bill to ban advertising of unpaid internships #payinterns @internaware @NDotMMartin Bright
What do you think? Are unpaid internships just 'how we do things', or is it time to change the status quo?
