Camille Olson Quoted in Time
“Hard Labor. Inside the mounting backlash against unpaid internships”

Seyfarth Shaw Labor & Employment partner Camille Olson was quoted in an article appearing in the May 21 issue of Time magazine. The article discussed recent litigation against companies who do not pay interns.

According to the article, employers claim that they pay interns in the form of experience, which can exceed the value of monetary compensation. However, if unpaid interns are filling jobs that would otherwise go to entry-level employees, the Fair Labor Standards Act mandates that interns receive compensation for their work. Several ex-interns are currently leading class actions against their previous employers, claiming violation of the act.

Camille surmised that the ex-interns could win their suits, as a backlash against unpaid internships is beginning. Fewer unpaid internships could also mean more entry-level jobs for 20-to-24-year-olds, whose unemployment rate in the U.S. reached 13.2 percent last month.