The "scenic" route from adolescence to adulthood?
The New York Times just toured the room and failed to see the elephant in the middle.
The most emailed article today is The Bank of Mom and Dad. It shows how young adults rely on their parents' financial support at the beginning of their professional life. It explains how salaries have decreased, rent has increased, etc. creating the need for external support to take off.
But no mention of so-called "internships".
"Internships" are no longer apprenticeships - they're underpaid, if at all, normal jobs. Interns get normal entry-level responsibilities, are expected to work full-time and receive very little or no salary compared to the normal pay scale. Internships are mandatory for people wanting to build careers in very competitive fields such as international relations or communications. They competee against each other and, contrary to unionized worker, receive no protection from the law. You can hire someone and not pay them as long as you call it an internship. That this is not yet a scandal escapes my understanding.
Better: there are internships offered at Anti-Slavery International and the International Organization of Labour. Oh, the irony.
posted by Mozza @ 12:55 PM
8 Comments:
I had to smile when I read this ...
My dad was a union man, about the time they were breaking the back of most unions in New Zealand ... at least 20 years ago, maybe more.
I lived in Turkey where anything went, the employer was king - all hours are worked and wages are low.
I arrived in Belgium ... the country where the unions still hold absolute power and nothing like your American system of internship stands a show of exisiting.
At first I mocked the Belgians for being so far behind ... but reading your post makes me think, yet again, 'and this is progress??'
Taxes are high but the benefits are too ... medicines, doctors visits and dentists are all subsidised. It's stunning.
Unfortunately this system goes beyond the US borders. Its best incarnation in Belgum is a the Eruopean Commission where "interns" from all over the EU compete for those positions. In Geneva (and New York, I guess), it's the United Nations and their technical agencies. Can you imagine living without a salary in the 6th most expensive city in the world?
In France, interns organized a revolt (Generation Précaire) many months ago - a precursor to the recent protests - over their conditions.
The essence of the problem is that this system is accepted and spreading like a virus - without much acknowledgement.
The other big labor crime I see is employers forcing employees to sign non-compete agreements before hiring them. I can understand employers wanting to protect intellectual property but most of the ones I've seen are unbelievably restrictive.
These contracts encourage employers to not treat their employees well. Why would any employer bother caring about employee satisfaction, when they know the employees can't leave?
Interesting - I wasn't aware of the extent of these contracts. I thought that they were restricted to some top positions. Thanks.
>I thought that they were restricted to some top positions. Thanks.<
You'd think so but they've recently been extended to the rank-and-file. Pretty soon we'll be re-introducing indentured servitude.
It's an outrage but no one can say anything because they fear for their job.
It is a problem indeed if employees can't change employers within their specialty. I'll keep an eye open and ask around if I know people who have been subjected to this treatment. Thanks.
Wow, I didn't realise that 'interns' in Belgium suffer like that ... being a local is fine.
Lol, can I imagine living without a salary ... yep, it's almost a year now, 8 months in process, one piece of paper and many weeks away but closer than ever. I'm not a happy bunny, to be in Europe without money ain't fun (and to think my grandfather was over here fighting for the Belgians and French during the first world war ... he wouldn't be impressed, she mutters under her breath)
I relate to your suffering. I have very little patience for immigration procedures. Too bad you're living under "interns conditions" without a salary. But, like them, you have hope that one day it will all be over! I'm confident that this bureacratic nightmare will soon be over for you.
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