Comments on: Unpaid interns who need to be paid https://www.overlawyered.com/2009/09/unpaid-interns-who-need-to-be-paid/ Chronicling the high cost of our legal system Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:40:47 +0000 hourly 1 By: ParatrooperJj https://www.overlawyered.com/2009/09/unpaid-interns-who-need-to-be-paid/comment-page-1/#comment-71960 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:40:47 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=13782#comment-71960 The feds are exempt from most privisions of FSLA.

]]> By: Waste93 https://www.overlawyered.com/2009/09/unpaid-interns-who-need-to-be-paid/comment-page-1/#comment-71923 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:53:45 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=13782#comment-71923 Robin,

Good point. However the government never pays anyways. Everyone else does. 🙂

]]> By: Robin https://www.overlawyered.com/2009/09/unpaid-interns-who-need-to-be-paid/comment-page-1/#comment-71921 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:01:57 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=13782#comment-71921 Those wondering about interns working for the government…
The law basically says the work performed must be of zero or negative value. Since a large amount of what the government does is certainly of no value or even of negative value, they shouldn’t have to pay 🙂

]]> By: Waste93 https://www.overlawyered.com/2009/09/unpaid-interns-who-need-to-be-paid/comment-page-1/#comment-71919 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:41:51 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=13782#comment-71919 Doesn’t the Federal government use interns all the time? Are those paid of unpaid positions? I’m thinking of the interns for Senators and Congressmen. Along with those in the White House.

]]> By: Jason Barney https://www.overlawyered.com/2009/09/unpaid-interns-who-need-to-be-paid/comment-page-1/#comment-71918 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:37:27 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=13782#comment-71918 So, it’s okay to be an unpaid intern (a/k/a “volunteer”) if it’s for the federal government, vis-à-vis http://www.serve.gov/.

Just wondering.

]]> By: jkoerner https://www.overlawyered.com/2009/09/unpaid-interns-who-need-to-be-paid/comment-page-1/#comment-71915 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:31:05 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=13782#comment-71915 Why are the employees considered unable to contract for less than minimum wage? This is an issue of personal freedom; if I want to work for an unpaid internship, then it should be none of the government’s business. Honestly, I think we need to go back to Lochner and invalidate all of these nanny state laws.

]]> By: Todd Rogers https://www.overlawyered.com/2009/09/unpaid-interns-who-need-to-be-paid/comment-page-1/#comment-71914 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:30:41 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=13782#comment-71914 Minimum wage – You mean the lowest possible income allowed by law? I would probably use that as a disqualifying attribute when making a hiring decision. How about the more nebulous “living wage?”

]]> By: David Eggers https://www.overlawyered.com/2009/09/unpaid-interns-who-need-to-be-paid/comment-page-1/#comment-71910 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:48:52 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=13782#comment-71910 Come on, minimum wage. That’s too much to ask?

]]> By: Todd Rogers https://www.overlawyered.com/2009/09/unpaid-interns-who-need-to-be-paid/comment-page-1/#comment-71909 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:44:32 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=13782#comment-71909 This regulation seems to run counter to basic contract law. Even still, I have to wonder how one defines “paid.” Does it mean, remuneration with bills or coin issued by the US Treasury, or an instrument which conveys such value, such as a check? I hate to stretch hypotheticals but what about other kinds of consideration – such as experience, which although is difficult to quantify (and difficult to tax) still has instrumental value – much like currency?

]]> By: Jim Collins https://www.overlawyered.com/2009/09/unpaid-interns-who-need-to-be-paid/comment-page-1/#comment-71908 Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:05:15 +0000 http://overlawyered.com/?p=13782#comment-71908 Are non-profits exempt from this? It looks to me that this pretty much rules out any type of volunteer work.

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