With the Australian workforce becoming increasingly competitive, people of all ages are being forced to undertake unpaid internships and work experience. While this does provide one with the opportunity to learn, it is unacceptable that in 2016 people still aren’t getting paid to work – which is where the core issue in unpaid internships can be seen. If you work, you should get paid. Period.

The proposal: Ban unpaid internships – make employers pay at least minimum wage during internship periods to help with living expenses and to help cover a portion of costs involved in undertaking the internship placement.

Employers are benefiting from unpaid internships through getting people to work for free, which is both morally and ethically wrong in any situation. Countless unpaid interns do the work of paid full-time employees but without receiving a penny in return, but manage to get away with this due to not considering the worker as an ‘employee’. Read further regarding this: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/how-we-will-help/templates-and-guides/fact-sheets/unpaid-work/unpaid-work

With some internships lingering on for weeks, it should be unlawful for those doing the work to be left unpaid at the end of the day. Regardless of whether the work done is entry level or is combined with training, if you put in the hours, you deserve to be financially rewarded for your efforts.

Another viewpoint in the argument for the banning of unpaid internships, is the consideration of the funds required for an intern to do the internship in the first place… for example, consider elements like the daily travel costs required to transport yourself to and from the internship – without a wage being received, you’re not only missing out on a well deserved pay check, but even worse, you’re enduring costs to undertake this.

There is not one single element of this situation that is ethically and morally correct. Unpaid internships are not justifiable, especially in a country with high living and educational costs. All workers deserve to get paid. Unpaid internships are unfair – and more people should be consciously aware that employers use unpaid interns to complete work that they otherwise would have to pay employees to do. The concept of an ‘unpaid intern’ is a loophole for businesses to cut back on wages, all while getting their work done for free, without the moral guilt of not paying someone for their hours dedicated to the job.

Please share and sign this petition to enable you to get paid for the work you do. #NoInternUnpaid

Contact: horseymonique@gmail.com