Using Students as Summer Interns Requires Planning

Employers Must Plan Carefully Before Engaging Students as Summer Interns

With the summer season approaching (and with significant media attention in recent weeks), the question of whether a business entity may take on an intern -- for the summer or during any other period -- without paying that intern at least minimum wage for all hours during which the intern is in the entity's office or other workplace premises, has seen renewed interest. While some may conclude that the scarcity of available positions for college students and others seeking new employment or a career change is license to utilize "interns" as a source of cheap or free labor, the circumstances in which an internship may be unpaid remain extremely limited. For a full discussion of the issues employers face, as well as other recent developments in labor law, please click here.