Interns are indispensable to any organization. They form the crux of your establishment, ensuring the flow of fresh ideas and talent and also serving as future employees if they make the cut. This is why companies start hunting for interns the moment the intern season starts.
But there are a lot of factors that come into play when you think of hiring interns for your organization. From compensation to protecting their interests and credit requirements, everything is important.
Here is a list of things you should know before hiring the next batch of interns for your company.
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
This act formulated in 1938 clearly mentions a federal minimum wage, an 8-hour daily work limit, a 40 hour per week limit, and overtime pay to be included for interns.
You need to be well versed with all these regulations and also be sure not to incorporate deductions in the name of uniforms, merchandise shortages, or any other factors.
Non-compliance with these laws can lead to penalties of up to 10000 dollars.
Wage and Hour Division Guidelines.
In April 2010, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division formulated a new set of regulations to be followed for unpaid internship programs in the wake of abuse by private firms.
The first guideline states that internship, if unpaid, has to be provided in an educational environment and many more. This includes workshops and software training programs as requirements for the internship programs.
You need to keep them engaged.
Don’t hire interns if you don’t have something edgy and creative for them to do. Fresh talent requires to be subjected to challenging and quirky tasks and projects to harness their potential.
If your interns get bored at work, the productivity of your organization will be impacted. This is fresh, young talent, and their skills and fresh ideas need to be utilized to the best capacities.
Focus on the basics
For your interns, this is the first exposure to a professional environment, so give them a heads up on the basics of working on an organization, equip them with the essential skills and protocols so that it is easier to work with all of them. You can organize a special orientation program for the same.
Give something valuable
Don’t use interns to run the office errands or fill up coffee machines. If you hire interns, make sure they take away something valuable from your organization.