Pay Interns

Proposed Reforms

WE CALL ON THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO:

  • Fund and empower a public/private collaborative partnership
  • Establish tax credit programs for small businesses [to offset intern compensation]
  • Establish supplemental tuition reimbursement and education incentive programs

WE CALL ON THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TO:

  • Modernize the Six-Pronged Compensation Exemption Criteria
  • Craft Interim Guidelines that allow employers & students to create the best experience
  • Engage in more aggressive enforcement of the FLSA about abusive practices13
  • Support a public awareness campaign to protect the rights of student workers14

WE CALL ON CONGRESS TO:

  • Revoke the exemptions to the federal Minimum Wage Law [Phase-Out Plan]
  • Repeal the exemption in the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995
  • Pass legislation that creates a system of financial supports for low-income students
  • Pass legislation that extends coverage of workplace discrimination and harassment protections

WE CALL ON STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO:

  • Establish internship tax credit programs for small businesses
  • Promote/support experiential education programs in every other way possible.

WE CALL ON HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS TO:

  • “Right-purpose” internship credit tuition by reallocating at least half of this revenue
  • Use a select portion of this “tuition rebate” to sponsor disadvantaged students
  • Release 25% of their endowments to fully and properly fund these reforms.
  • Institute and administer an internship program registration requirement
  • Establish effective internship placement matching programs
  • Formalize a career guidance student matriculation process
  • Mandate and integrate internship and career preparation certification programs
  • Institute a system for transparent accountability
  • Refuse to endorse unpaid internships [in concert with an achievable phase-out]
  • Revoke archaic rules that credit-bearing internships may not be paid (Cease credit-for-compensation practices and related minimum wage law violations)
  • Commit essential resources to support employers and students (i.e., onsite training)

WE CALL ON EMPLOYERS AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AT-LARGE TO:

  • Return the American workplace to a culture of apprenticeship
  • Cease credit-for-compensation practices and related minimum wage law violations
  • Mobilize chambers of commerce to fund and drive “Internship Seeding Initiatives”
  • Formalize onsite skills training programs [with school and government support]
  • Shift the revenue model of placement broker services [to that of staffing firms]
  • Offer education subsidies [in exchange for loyal employment]
  • Accommodate placement of disadvantaged youth through the Workforce System