The tragic death of Moritz Erhardt once again made us think about the role of internships in businesses.
First, an acknowledgment: not all internships are bad. A good number are properly paid and offer invaluable experience. Many lead to future jobs within the company. They can be a highly rewarding use of summer holidays.
How is it that unpaid interns form an essential element of some businesses’ structures? So many businesses wouldn’t function without unpaid interns. Surely this is Corporate Responsibility 101: operate within your means, treat those working for you properly.
As a (very) general trend the quality divide is between SMEs and big corporations. Big corporations can offer structured training, wide exposure, and proper pay. SMEs have a more limited offer, particularly financially. Of course, in the right SME, you can shine.
It all comes down to the attitude of the “employer”. Are interns a valuable resource and treated accordingly? Or a way to cheat the system: a disposable item that does the job for pittance?
Part of this comes down to language. We must differentiate between a flagrant abuse of willing workers, and fulfilling short-term contracts.
Like so many of my cohort I’ve been through the good, the bad, and the ugly of internships. I’ve done menial tasks for expenses only pay. The approximate benefit to me was zero. The company got what they wanted without committing to pesky employment rights or the minimum wage. I’ve also been a fully-paid “intern” for an organisation that needed extra help. They couldn’t afford permanent new staff. Fair enough. My work was rewarding and I was a fully-fledged, albeit temporary, part of the team.
Internships are getting increasing prominence in the media and in government. Prospects for improvement, however, are low. Employment of young people is a buyer’s market. People are desperate for a foot on the ladder. Where there is regulation, companies will find loopholes. A continued ‘race to the bottom’ is inevitable.
Getting work experience is tough. Getting your first job is tougher. How do we stop these conditions leading to abuse? High-profile employment law test cases would be a start. Young people need to understand their rights. Businesses need to respect employment legislation. Governments need to enforce their own legislation.