Internship is free, even in the United States. I know lots of students beg big companies to accept them as internship workers.
Ray, you rock! I wish I could go...
Victor S wrote:
Internship is free, even in the United States. I know lots of students beg big companies to accept them as internship workers.
Ray, you rock! I wish I could go...
Except, if you are in business for yourself, you need to educate yourself on the FACT that companies that have UNPAID internships MUST register with the state and have strict guidelines governing these positions that they must adhere to.
The lack of business understanding here, among supposed small business owners is startling.
wow, it's true-these threads will never end-sorry Ray
i am curious, ray, in light of these concerns, do you have the volunteer sign any waiver before they assist/schlep? have you ever had any issues pop up from people who assisted you in the past?
i'm curious and i'm also hoping to turn this thread from the obvious impasse that it's currently reached
Just an odd tidbit that I found searching on this, in California, any interns hired without pay need to be receiving credit for their work via an academic or registered apprenticeship program (or so says the SF Gate).
The US Department of Labor holds out six points that unpaid interns need to follow:
1. The training, even though it includes actual operations of the facilities of the employers, is similar to that which would be given in a vocational school.
2. The training is for the benefit of the student.
3. The student does not displace a regular employee, but works under the close observation of a regular employee or supervisor.
4. The employer provides the training and derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the student; and on occasion, the operations may actually be impeded by the training.
5. The student is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the training period.
6. The employer and the student understand that the student is not entitled to wages for the time spent training.
Hauling someone's bags definitly sounds like you're displacing the job of who ever normally hauls bags, even if it is the prime photographer (violation of rule #3). Second, the intern is giving an immediate benefit to the employer, which is verbotten under #4.
Going down the road of charging a schlub for "photography training" while at the same time handing them a salary of the exact amount would at first glance, seem to be trying to evade both California and federal labor law.
Paying CA's minimum wage of $8 per hour is a $80 burden for a 10 hour wedding. I know that the odds of violations being caught is slim, but the penalties would be exponentially more than the minimum wage not being paid.
...This is what I have been trying to say all along.
Think people, you are business owners and RESPONSIBLE for your labor practices and the laws governing them. Know them, understand them, comply with them. Be good citizens and wise owners. Set positive examples for others learning here to follow.
