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Unpaid NBC Interns Settle Lawsuit for over $6 Million

A group of unpaid interns at NBC have settled a recent lawsuit for a very large sum, according to a report.  Approximately 9,000 interns working on “Saturday Night Live” and other shows brought suit against the media giant last summer for back wages.  According to the interns, they were either paid nothing or less than minimum wage for their time with NBC.  Although this is a victory for the interns, it is important to note that the average class member will only receive approximately $505 before taxes.

Companies have long argued that unpaid internships gain experience and contacts via a “foot in the door.”  In reality, many businesses exploit young and inexperienced help and effectively hire them to perform tasks completed by paid employees under the guise of an “internship.” This is an unacceptable practice that needs attention called to it, and thankfully lawsuits like the aforementioned case against NBC bring attention to the problem even if the employees aren’t compensated as much as they should be owed.

Department of Labor Test for Unpaid Interns

In order to properly qualify as unpaid interns, individuals working at a company must meet a test that has been outlined by the United States Department of Labor (as well as any state standards that may be more specific).  According to the DOL, in order to properly classify employees as unpaid interns, the interns must be receiving training for their own educational benefit and must meet six specific criteria:

  • The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training that would be given in an educational environment.
  • The internship experience is for the benefit of the intern;
  • The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;
  • The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;
  • The intern is not necessarily entitled to a job at the conclusion of the internship; and
  • The employer and the intern understand that the intern is not entitled to wages for the time spent in the internship.

If any of the aforementioned factors are not met the relationship between the company and the “intern” likely classifies as an employment relationship whereby all federal and state wage and hour laws must be followed including minimum wage and overtime requirements. If the factors are not met you may be entitled to compensation and should speak with a wage and hour claims lawyer. Because the Fair Labor Standards Act and other laws use a broad definition of the term “employ,” the unpaid intern exclusion is intentionally narrow.

What To Do If You Have Questions as an Unpaid Intern

If you or someone you love is performing unpaid work for a company and questions whether they should be paid, do not hesitate to contact the employment lawyers at Joseph & Norinsberg for a free consultation.  Do not fear wrongful termination, as any adverse action taken for asserting your right to collect wages owed to you could breed a subsequent retaliation claim.  Contact us today at 212-JUSTICE or info@employeejustice.com for an evaluation of your case.

2020-12-24T20:43:39+00:00November 10th, 2014|Sexual Harassment|

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Mr. Diego helped me WIN and reach a great settlement. Wages recovered from lack of pay and serious misconducts from employer. He was very informative and easy to talk to every step of the way. Very happy with the settlement I received. He will go for the win and get you what you deserve! If you having problems with employment I give Mr. Diego my full recommendation to get your issues resolved.

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To have Bennitta Joseph who wins high profile cases against companies like Delta is a win for any company. The fact that they equip entrepreneurs like me with tools to compete with fortune 500 is a competitive advantage. If you are a company that deals with people and wants to succeed, hiring her is a must!

This was the first and hopefully my last lawsuit and the process wasn’t what I thought. The patience shown to me (even when I became frustrated) was great. Everyone showed respect, sensitivity, and I’d recommend the firm to everyone. Losing my job set me behind on several bills, but I can now pay them. The situation I went through will help me going forward.

This was the first and hopefully my last lawsuit and the process wasn’t what I thought. The patience shown to me (even when I became frustrated) was great. Everyone showed respect, sensitivity, and I’d recommend the firm to everyone. Losing my job set me behind on several bills, but I can now pay them. The situation I went through will help me going forward.

Bennitta Joseph is committed to Justice. After be wronged at work in 2015, and discriminated against I felt very hopeless and wronged. I felt as though I had no hope standing up to a corporate giant, and no chance of winning. After explaining my case and sharing the facts Bennitta felt differently. She did warn me it would be a long and tough road and that I had to have thick skin. In my experience if you take Bennitta’s lead and trust her legal experience no case it too big, or too small for her…

Me trataron muy bien y estoy satisfecho con el servicio. Inicialmente llamé para unirme a un caso anterior, pero cuando ya era demasiado tarde para unirme a ese caso, estaban felices de luchar por un segundo caso. No pensé que podrían hacer que otro caso funcionara, pero lo hicieron. Aprendí cuáles son mis derechos en cuanto a salario mínimo y tiempo extra y puedo usar esta información en el futuro. Recomiendo mucho la oficina.

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I am very amazed and pleased for the wonderful work Diego Barros did for me and our co-workers, speechless to see how wonderful and constructive everything work. First time with Diego Barros and i am totally impressed to have seen how great you have worked for all of us, i will totally recommend you to anybody who is in need of help without at doubt at all in all senses.
Ysaac G
Mr. Diego helped me WIN and reach a great settlement. Wages recovered from lack of pay and serious misconducts from employer. He was very informative and easy to talk to every step of the way. Very happy with the settlement I received. He will go for the win and get you what you deserve! If you having problems with employment I give Mr. Diego my full recommendation to get your issues resolved. 
D.F.
To have Bennitta Joseph who wins high profile cases against companies like Delta is a win for any company. The fact that they equip entrepreneurs like me with tools to compete with fortune 500 is a competitive advantage. If you are a company that deals with people and wants to succeed, hiring her is a must!
Karleen L.
This was the first and hopefully my last lawsuit and the process wasn’t what I thought.  The patience shown to me (even when I became frustrated) was great.  Everyone showed respect, sensitivity, and I’d recommend the firm to everyone.  Losing my job set me behind on several bills, but I can now pay them.  The situation I went through will help me going forward. 
Isaiah B.
I had an excellent experience with the firm and with Bennitta Joseph as my attorney. Everyone I dealt with was extremely courteous, friendly and very helpful. The settlement will help me financially as I look for a job.
Kate P.

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