Ministry of Labour blows the whistle on internships

The Ontario Ministry of Labour found through a series of inspections that almost 42 per cent of employers running internship programs in the Greater Toronto Area were breaking the law, according to a document published on September 30 on the ministry’s website.

In an inspection blitz that ran between April 1 and June 15, the ministry found that 13 of the 31 businesses found to be employing interns were breaking the Employment Standards Act, which guarantees employee rights, such as the minimum wage.

The ministry issued 37 compliances and demanded that employers pay a total of more than $48,000 in owed wages, the document said.

The ministry targeted 56 businesses in sectors that are “known to employ a high proportion of interns,” such as advertising, public relations and information services. Of those 56 businesses, eight had no internship programs, and 17 were not employing interns at the time of the inspection.

The document says that when someone that is not in business for him/herself does work for another person, company or organization, he/she is entitled to the Employment Standards Act.

“The fact that you are called an intern is not relevant to whether your internship should be paid or unpaid,” the document said.

Not all interns are entitled to the Employment Standards Act, however.

The document says interns who are working for a college or university credit are not entitled to the Employment Standards Act.

Such is the case for Fanshawe College’s Radio and TV Broadcasting programs.

“I think [internships] are crucial,” said Jim Van Horne, co-ordinator of both programs. “It’s a tough balance between gaining valuable industry experience, which students want, and being able to prove yourself for a future job.”

The Radio Broadcasting program internship is four weeks long, while the TV Broadcasting program internship is seven weeks long. Both are for credits and are typically unpaid.

“Over the years, we’ve been able to develop a very good relationship with our employers so that they know what our students can do, and they give them a valuable, meaningful experience. And often times, it does lead to employment.”

“Our students really want them,” he said. “They see the value in it.”