Why Unpaid Internships Shouldn’t Exist
Unpaid internships, in college they’re a rite of passage to get a taste of the working world. They are typically the foundation of college program work experience requirements, a way for college students to work in the field they are interested in, and to get their foot in the door.
Unpaid internships are also a way that companies can take advantage of green talent by unloading work they would otherwise need to pay employees to do. Let’s unpack the problematic nature of unpaid internships and why they shouldn’t exist.
1. It gives experience only to people who can afford it.
According to a study conducted in 2016, full-time college students are often working while they are in college, with 41% working part-time and 16% working full time (35+ hours). This means that on top of being enrolled with a full-time course load of 12 to 18 units (36+ hours), college students typically take on part-time jobs within their busy schedules to pay for tuition, rent, living expenses, and more. Which begs the question, who can actually afford to take on an unpaid internship?
The answer: Those who have the socio-economic privileges to do so.
In 2019, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) conducted research on internship experiences and college students. The study found that there were significant disproportionalities between paid and unpaid internships distributed amongst college students, with women and students of color taking on more unpaid internships or having never interned at all due to financial strain. In fact, paid internships disproportionately benefit white, male students with parents who have college degrees and are within a higher socioeconomic status.
“Often, entry-level roles are filled from unpaid internships, which means that those with the most privilege to weather these roles are first to be hired (NACE). This can accelerate the lack of diversity and representation at major companies.”
2. It is exploitative and undervalues labor.
Legally, an unpaid intern shouldn’t do any work that is not strictly related to learning. In particular, if the company is profiting from their work, it does not meet the requirements of an unpaid internship. The purpose of internships is for someone to be exposed to their industry of interest and gain experience. If companies want interns to get experience doing work they’d otherwise pay employees to do, they should at least pay minimum wage.
Programs in school should not require students to work for free. Some college programs outline that the work has to be paid to be counted towards the hours required to graduate. This ensures that the work a person is doing during school is indicative of the kind of work they’d be doing if they got a job in their field.
3. It is often an abused position designed to do work for companies that are profiting off of free labor.
In the 2019 study conducted by NACE, they found that college graduates who completed a paid internship performed better at job fairs and received a greater number of higher-level job offers than those who completed an unpaid internship. In fact, graduates who completed unpaid internships got the same amount of job offers as those who never interned at all.
Therefore, those privileged enough to accept an unpaid internship still have to endure unequal treatment to some extent. Unpaid interns sacrificing their time and labor for free are also reaping limited benefits typically gained from interning, better job opportunities when job searching.
Paying for labor is also a form of investment and demonstrates an interest in the employee’s value within the company and those who complete paid internships are often given job offers to work full time. Therefore, not only does having unpaid interns undervalue their work, but it also shows a lack of care or commitment to the intern’s professional development.
4. It is unethical and bad for mental health.
The exploitation of interns is not unheard of, in fact, it is something that is quite common and understood to be “normal practice”. Interns sometimes have to endure disregard and disrespect from managers due to their status or the laborious nature of their internship. Many college students report feeling anxiety, stress, and even symptoms of depression during their internship. Unpaid internships in particular cause tremendous stress among young professionals looking to gain experience in their field and not ruin their chances by complaining.
5. It perpetuates racial inequalities in the workplace.
The final and one of the most important reasons to eliminate the unpaid internship is that the exploitative nature of unpaid internships actually perpetuates workplace inequalities including the racial pay gap. As mentioned above, the majority of those who benefit from unpaid internships are young white male college students or professionals. This results in a predominantly white pool of intern applicants when hiring.
Factoring in the lack of diversity in candidates for a position, most companies may still have a bias in their hiring practices where they would act with prejudice or snap judgments. This ultimately means that when met with the choice between those with unpaid internship experiences, again, young white males, and an applicant of color with no internship experience. The prior may be favored over the latter.
Due to the fact that only those with privileged and wealthy backgrounds are able to apply for such roles. Those from marginalized communities are often unable to take on an unpaid role. This barrier to entry preserves the racial pay gap and the generational wealth gap that exists to perpetuate inequalities in the workplace.
As we become more transparent with the inequities common within the workplace, we should take a closer look at the core principles of these pre-established business practices and examine whether they are truly ethical and inclusive of all.
