I wrote the original article, and since then I've done a ton of interviews on the topic with some big name media outlets.
I'm not a lawyer, but I have looked at the topic in depth.
Basically, there are very few cases when unpaid internships are legal. However, there is almost no enforcement of these laws. I haven't heard of anything recent, and I watch the topic pretty closely.
A lot of companies think that requiring students to get "college credit" for their internships provides a loophole to get around the law, but as far as I can tell that's not the case. This is especially interesting, because more and more graduates are taking unpaid internships, which shows that employers are getting even more brazen.
My philosophy is that you shouldn't pay your interns because you have to legally; you should pay them because they're worth it. If you can't find a way to make more off of the intern than the $10/hour that you need to pay him or her, then maybe your business isn't ready for interns.
I'm not a lawyer, but I have looked at the topic in depth.
Basically, there are very few cases when unpaid internships are legal. However, there is almost no enforcement of these laws. I haven't heard of anything recent, and I watch the topic pretty closely.
A lot of companies think that requiring students to get "college credit" for their internships provides a loophole to get around the law, but as far as I can tell that's not the case. This is especially interesting, because more and more graduates are taking unpaid internships, which shows that employers are getting even more brazen.
My philosophy is that you shouldn't pay your interns because you have to legally; you should pay them because they're worth it. If you can't find a way to make more off of the intern than the $10/hour that you need to pay him or her, then maybe your business isn't ready for interns.