Unpaid, no contract of performance, long hours - this is nothing more than slavery using an extortion scheme, all done by a parasitic company. Companies who prey upon those looking for work, and thereby removing time their “intern” could be spending looking for a real job, need to have the Labor Department reaming them a new one.
My industry uses “interns”, these are low-paid jobs, where new-hires in engineering are brought in during their Junior or Senior year, and are teamed up with engineering teams of more experienced engineers. This gives the student a good idea of what to expect when they enter the workforce as an engineer, and gives the company an idea of what the “intern’s” skill sets, aptitude and teamwork capabilities are. Usually, at the end of 3 months (Summer Break, typically) the student returns to school with a job offer in hand for when he graduates.
This crap in the article, is inexcusable. It’s modern day slavery.
Absolutely.
Internships are supposed to work somewhat like the old trade apprentice program. Sure, you'd do some (maybe a lot) of menial labor along the way, but most of the time is supposed to be spent LEARNING A SKILL.
Spending most of the time cleaning out closets, going for lunch runs, etc is not learning a skill. It's not seeing how the company works.
It's simply taking advantage of a desperate person. The company involved should be seriously sued for not paying the minimum wage.
It is extortion. My sister worked in a field where this was expected (advertising). My Dad told her to get a job at a small newspaper and make some money while learning the ropes.
Unpaid internships taking advantage of the students.