Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC
The Firm
201-896-4100 info@sh-law.comAuthor: Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC|June 18, 2015
Compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is still important, but it is not the only compliance concern that employers must address. In the past few years, many states, including New York, have implemented additional legal protections.
As a reminder, with regard to wages, true unpaid internships are rare, given that compensation is generally required whenever the employer benefits from the work the intern performs. As previously discussed on the Scarinci Hollenbeck Business Law News Blog, the Department of Labor uses the following six-factor test to determine whether an intern can truly be unpaid:
Even if interns are unpaid, they may be covered under certain employments laws. In New York, lawmakers amended the state’s Human Rights Law to protect interns from discriminatory practices with regard to hiring, discharge, or terms/conditions of employment. In response to high-profile court decision dismissing a case by an unpaid intern, the law also now expressly prohibits sexual harassment of interns by employers, codifying both the quid pro quo and hostile environment tests for sexual harassment.
In New Jersey, proposed legislation would amend the Law Against Discrimination, the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, and the Worker Freedom From Employer Intimidation Act to include unpaid interns. Accordingly, employers could be held liable for harassment, discrimination, intimidation, and retaliation against this new class of workers. The bill passed the Senate last year, but is not yet law.
The Firm
201-896-4100 info@sh-law.comCompliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is still important, but it is not the only compliance concern that employers must address. In the past few years, many states, including New York, have implemented additional legal protections.
As a reminder, with regard to wages, true unpaid internships are rare, given that compensation is generally required whenever the employer benefits from the work the intern performs. As previously discussed on the Scarinci Hollenbeck Business Law News Blog, the Department of Labor uses the following six-factor test to determine whether an intern can truly be unpaid:
Even if interns are unpaid, they may be covered under certain employments laws. In New York, lawmakers amended the state’s Human Rights Law to protect interns from discriminatory practices with regard to hiring, discharge, or terms/conditions of employment. In response to high-profile court decision dismissing a case by an unpaid intern, the law also now expressly prohibits sexual harassment of interns by employers, codifying both the quid pro quo and hostile environment tests for sexual harassment.
In New Jersey, proposed legislation would amend the Law Against Discrimination, the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, and the Worker Freedom From Employer Intimidation Act to include unpaid interns. Accordingly, employers could be held liable for harassment, discrimination, intimidation, and retaliation against this new class of workers. The bill passed the Senate last year, but is not yet law.