When Is An Unpaid Internship Illegal?

This infographic created by Wage Advocates outlines the ways in which to determine if an unpaid internship is illegal. Though many employers offer interns compensation for their work, several industries and companies still rely heavily upon unpaid labor. The number of graduating college seniors who accept unpaid internships annually has increased significantly in the past several years. However, students who accept such unpaid positions are only marginally more likely to be hired to full-time positions after graduation compared to their cohorts who worked no internship at all. The Department of Labor has outlined a six-step test to determine which workers may perform their duties without compensation legally, and which actually qualify as employees, entitled to benefits under the Fair Labor Standards Act.