As an employer launching a marketing or advertising internship program, you should be aware of the rules regarding internships, particularly unpaid ones, which if not handled properly may out you in legal trouble.
There is a level of debate between the fairness of unpaid internships among students, universities and internship research sites like Intern Bridge. But as long as the six rules to define an unpaid intern established by the Department of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards Act, are followed you should have nothing to worry about if you decide to offer an unpaid marketing or advertising internship. The criteria are listed below:
1. The training, even though it includes actual operations of the facilities of the employers, is similar to that which would be given in a vocational school.
2. The training is for the benefit of the student.
3. The student does not displace a regular employee, but works under the close observation of a regular employee or supervisor.
4. The employer provides the training and derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the student; and on occasion, the operations may actually be impeded by the training.
5. The student is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period.
6. The employer and the student understand that the student is not entitled to wages for the time spent training.
Here are some related links regarding unpaid internships.
10 Rules for Hiring Unpaid Interns
Unpaid Internships: No Pay, No Gain?
