Unpaid Intern Lawyer

Unpaid Intern Lawyer

Recent headlines about unpaid internships are shining a light on a class of workers who are misclassified as interns. The renewed publicity on unpaid interns is making it clear that in many cases the law requires employers to pay at least the minimum wage.

As any unpaid intern lawyer will tell you, employers have created internship positions in order to maximize the benefit to the company without any of the modern employment obligations, like

  • Wages / Pay
  • Health Insurance
  • Unemployment Insurance
  • Employment Protections (Think ADA or Title VII discrimination protections for example)

Employers get to utilize and test out interns for extended periods of time without any cost. This type of lopsided benefit is precisely what state and federal laws are designed to protect against. If you think that you have been improperly classified, then please contact an unpaid intern lawyer for a free consultation:

Call Pittsburgh
(412) 626-5626
Call Philadelphia
(215) 618-9185
Email KM&A
lawyer@lawkm.com

Unpaid Intern Lawyer’s Test For Wages

Here is a simplified unpaid internship quiz that will tell you whether you should have been paid. If you don’t perfectly match up with this test, don’t worry, it’s a rough guide and only meant to encourage you to call an attorney for a consultation.

  1. Education – Is your internship education similar to training which would be given in an educational environment (school)?
  2. Benefit – Does the employer receive the primary benefit (are you learning as much as the employer is gaining)?
  3. Displaced Workers – If not for your internship, would they hire someone to do your work?
  4. Advantage – Is there any immediate advantage for the employer?
  5. Entitled – Are you automatically entitled to a job at the end of the internship?
  6. Understanding – Do you and the employer understand that you are not going to be paid for time spent?

As a very rough guide, if you answered 2, 3, 4, and 6 as YES and 1 and 5 as NO, then your employer may be required to pay you wages. If you are unsure of what the results mean for you, an unpaid intern lawyer should look into your case. You are encouraged to contact us right away.

Unpaid Internship Articles

The following articles may help you determine whether your rights were violated by an employer. You are encouraged to direct any questions you have to an unpaid intern lawyer at KM&A. We pride ourselves on being extremely accessible legal professionals who are highly dedicated to our clients’ interests. Remember, the consultation is always free.

 

Contact Kraemer, Manes & Associates LLC - (412) 626-5626

Kraemer, Manes & Associates LLC “KM&A” is a law firm serving all of Pennsylvania with offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Call KM&A in western Pennsylvania at 412-626-5626 or in eastern Pennsylvania at 215-618-9185. KM&A can be reached by email at lawyer@lawkm.com.