Market Areas > Human Resources > Interns and the Law

Interns and the Law: Structuring a Compliant Internship Program that Meets Wage and Hour Guidelines

Course Description:

Unpaid interns, paid interns… are they employees or not?  What difference does it really make?  When it comes to wage and hour law, it makes a big difference.

Many states, including New York, California and Oregon, have launched investigations into internships for violating minimum wage laws. Regulators say violations are widespread, and with internships on the rise, the DOL’s wage and hour division is stepping up enforcement nationwide.

Where does this leave your internship program? Does it comply with federal and state wage and hour laws? And if your interns are unpaid, does it comply with the six legal federal criteria that must be satisfied for internships to be unpaid?

If your program meets the requirements of the federal and state wage and hour laws, are there still employment issues under other laws, such as equal employment opportunity and unemployment benefits? 

Find out how to structure your internship program so that it meets wage and hour guidelines with this timely audio conference recording. Our employment law expert will walk you through how to minimize your organization’s liability and lessen the risk of potential wage and hour related lawsuits. 

Course Highlights:

During this comprehensive program, you will learn:

• Wage and hour requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state law
• Unpaid internships: The criteria that must be met to avoid employment
• For-profit and non-profit: the different rules that govern these employers
• What constitutes pay? Money, academic credit, or other components?
• Critical language to include in any written or unwritten internship agreement
• Insurance coverage: Is Worker’s Comp required for interns?

By the end of this 75-minute program, you’ll also know:

• Are employers liable for unemployment insurance payments for interns?
• What employers need to know about potential liability issues, such as discrimination, harassment  and other legal issues
• Are your interns better classified as employees?
• Developing an internship program with a school: Best practices
• Terminology: How an internship, apprenticeship and co-op learning differ
• Pros and cons of structuring an internship to lead into full employment
• Non-student interns: Special concerns for this category
• Handling complaints: What to do if WHD comes to visit

Featured Faculty:

R. Brian Dixon, Shareholder, Littler Mendelson P.C.

Mr. Dixon is a shareholder at Littler in the San Francisco office. Mr. Dixon's practice includes all aspects of employee compensation, including minimum wage, prevailing wage, overtime obligations and incentive compensation plans. He represents employers in compensation disputes with the United States Department of Labor, California's Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, the enforcement agencies of other states and private plaintiffs.

Mr. Dixon also provides employers with a full range of counsel and legal representation, from consulting on individual disciplinary decisions to representation in state and federal courts. His practice has included wrongful termination issues, equal employment opportunity matters and labor relations concerns.

MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE:

We're so confident you'll get what you want out of this conference that we'll refund every penny if you're not completely satisfied. No questions asked! It's 100% risk-free!

pricing:

Your recording includes the complete audio conference presentation, audience Q&A and presentation materials.

APPROVED FOR RECERTIFICATION CREDIT:

HRCI - Receive 1.25 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org. "The use of this seal is not an endorsement by the HR Certification Institute of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met the HR Certification Institute's criteria to be pre-approved for recertification credit."

Each CCM event presents a variety of information and is presented for each organization to develop its own approach and methodology.