General Employment Law | Shegerian & Associates Can Help

Summer is the perfect time for many college students looking for internships as a way to gain some real job experience. Especially in this economy, internships are often unpaid experiences that simply allow students to get a glimpse of what a job they are interested is like. Most people think internships are relatively easy and hassle free to arrange but most people do not realize that there are federal guidelines and employment laws even for internship experiences. Many companies are simply happy to have the free labor while the student is happy to gain the experience.

Federal Requirements

There are six requirements that internships must meet in order to be legal under federal guidelines. They include making sure the intern understands they will not be paid, ensuring that the intern profits from the internship in some way, and making clear that an internship does not guarantee a paid position later on. Additionally, internships should not get in the way of any current employee’s job stability, no profit should be gained by the employer from the intern, and the intern must receive training that resembles educational training.

When to Seek Help

Interns should know these rules and regulations before accepting an internship to be sure it really qualifies as an internship. If an employer did not follow these guidelines, an intern can file for back wages by submitting a claim. If you need further help seeking legal recourse against an employer, you can contact the seasoned employment law specialists at Shegerian & Associates.