Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Unpaid internships

  • 28-10-2014 11:04am
    #1
    ferfer15
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12 ✭


    HI!, I am worried about because there are many advertisements offering "unpaid internships" (actually, in Gumtree I found a "company" which was hiring all kind of services for free (seo, marketing, secretaries, interpreters, etc...). I think this is not very "legal" and I would like to know if there is any association in Ireland to talk about (to be honest, I think that advertisements are working like "scam", they promise the "expertise", they dont give you anything and you make profit for them).

    Thank you very much!

    This is what I found doing a little bit of research....(ictu website, I cant post links).

    My internship was advertised as unpaid. Does this mean that I have no right to the national minimum wage?
    Eligibility for the national minimum wage depends on the actual nature of your work and relationship with the organisation providing the internship. It is not enough for your employer just to claim that you are an 'intern' or to require you to sign a contract saying you have no right to the minimum wage - you cannot sign away your right to be paid the national minimum wage.

    Your rights as an intern depend on the facts of your situation, what happens in practice in the workplace, who decides what you do and what you are expected to do by your employer.

    As an intern - provided you are doing work of value to the employer, have a similar level of supervision and responsibility as the rest of the workforce - then you are likely to be entitled to be paid at least the national minimum wage regardless of what title your employer has put on you .

    But it is important to note that if you are on a Government Intern or Work Experience Scheme - that scheme may be exempt from minimum wage laws - then different rights to payment apply.


Comments

  • #2
    NormalBob Ubiquitypants
    Closed Accounts Posts: 297 ✭✭NormalBob Ubiquitypants


    This is a major issue in the USA at the moment. I know there are class action law suits going on.
    Legal issues aside I have a moral issue with internships. If you are doing the work you should get paid for them.
    What really bugs me is the large firms that are offering job bridges internships with the requirement that you are a fully qualified solicitor.


Advertisement