Unpaid internships deny access to jobs to those who need them most
Unpaid internships are a hot topic that has loyal defenders on both sides. The reality is that unpaid internships can only be taken by people from wealthier backgrounds, thus making it even harder for people from more marginalized and poorer backgrounds to gain valuable experience and the opportunity to enter the job market.
And that is not the only problem. Interns do real work. They show up to work and perform tasks and deliver on goals and deliverables, just like entry-level or senior-level workers. Is it ethical to not pay someone while employing them?
Recently, a poster on Linkedin also posted about this unfairness, which sparked the debate once again. He sums it up perfectly.
Surprisingly, there were several people who argued that unpaid internships should stay, as the work experience alone was invaluable. While that is true, the work experience is the most important part of an internship, it is very hard to eat and pay rent on a salary of zero dollars. I think back on the time in 2014 when I took an internship with Tesla Motors in the Netherlands, which meant I had to move to the Southern city of Tilburg. Even though I come from a privileged background in many regards, I was shouldering the costs of school, rent, food etc. All of the costs of living were being paid by my part-time job and student loans without assistance from my parents. To be able to do the internship, I had to give up a part-time job and a large portion of my monthly income. The 600 euros I received monthly for that internship certainly went a long way. I could not have taken that fantastic opportunity had the internship been unpaid. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that launched my career and taught me many important industry skills. It would have been a far bigger struggle to enter the job market had this opportunity not worked out.
In a world where income inequalities are on the rise, the concept of an unpaid internship only deepens this divide. Access to higher education and internships is already much harder for those not from wealthy middle-class families. This path is still the most effective way to enter the job market. Employers should consider this with much more thought and carefulness.
To all employers who argue that it is about the experience or that interns don’t do “real” work. Take responsibility and create real meaningful work experiences for interns. Interns should be plugged into your companies goals and vision, not left to collect coffee and print out forms. It is ridiculous to think that interns cannot handle entry-level tasks. Companies can benefit so much more from creating meaningful and purposeful internship programs that provide incredible value to the company. There is a lot of untapped potentials. And while both parties benefit from this exchange, the intern should be paid for his or her time.
Another argument that is popular on Linkedin is that companies may not be able to pay for an intern or for entry-level work, so they choose instead to provide unpaid internships. To those companies, I say this. If you are cutting costs by replacing entry-level positions with interns, paid or not, then you are the problem. If that is the difference between surviving and going bankrupt then perhaps it is time to rethink the business model.
It’s quite simple. Take interns seriously and pay them for their time.
