PRIA launches best practice intern guide
The Public Relations Institute of Australia has launched a comprehensive set of guidelines for managing internships, to address issues of fair work, payment and management highlighted in last year’s national RCG survey.
To pay or not to pay?
The guidance attempts to balance the entitlement to utilise interns on an unpaid basis for academic credit, with avoiding their possible exploitation.
“The Fair Work Act is very clear that students do not need to be paid if they are enrolled in an academic subject that requires them to complete formal work experience or a vocational placement. However, if students are not enrolled in such a subject and the student does more than a few days of observation in the consultancy, then they should be paid for their efforts," the guidance notes.
“Some academic institutions specifically ban payment during the internship, others allow payment during the period. But once the formal internship period has been completed, the student may be considered an employee if they continue working in the consultancy and there are clear minimum wage rates which apply.
“Students are keen to obtain experience and often volunteer to work for free. Consultancies have to reject these kind offers – unless the student is enrolled in a subject requiring professional work placement.”
The guidance notes that the majority of interns are studying courses that are formally accredited by the PRIA and contain internships or practical work placements, but students from other degree programs may also have subjects that require work placements.
“In that situation the student and host organisation must ensure that they are meeting Fair Work Australia requirements,” the PRIA said.
“Remember – unless an intern is ENROLLED in a SUBJECT that REQUIRES work placement, they must generally be paid for ongoing work,” it concluded. [emphasis supplied]