According to the Moneyville web site, Ms Seaborn, despite having had positive internship experiences herself, had heard many examples of companies exploiting young people through unpaid placements. For example, it is claimed that one advertising student was expected to clean toilets without pay or prospect of a permanent job.

Minimum wage

Ms Seaborn hopes to inform interns and employers about the law covering placements. The Ontario Employment Standards Act dictates that interns should be paid at least the minimum wage, although this may be relaxed if the internship offers training benefits to the individual.
South of the border, US interns have taken class action suits against employers, but the Canadian Internship Association hopes not to resort to legal action, instead intending to ‘educate and facilitate a culture change among employers’.

Elitist posts

The North American debate emerges as many British students are undertaking summer vacation schemes in law firms. While these are usually remunerated, there is an unequal provision of work experience opportunities in the British legal profession.
The London-based Law Gazette has previously reported on the issues surrounding elitist work experience, placements that are impossible to obtain without family contacts, and financially impractical for those who need to work to support themselves.