Interns: victim’s of greed?
I notice that a minor mediation consultancy has just proudly recruited three ‘interns’, so it isn’t just big businesses that are exploiting the current state of the employment market. It seems to me morally wrong to exploit intelligent, able people to do work which, if it needs doing and has a value, ought to be properly paid for. I would not dream of taking an enthusiastic, motivated person, giving them real and valuable work, not paying them properly, and then excusing myself because I am ‘offering them a leg up’, or ‘giving them invaluable experience’.
| Not only is this exploiting people’s vulnerability in the current economic shambles, it is also discriminatory, as only certain people can afford to take on an intern role – people with either capital or friends and relatives able to subsidise their living costs. CMP has integrity. We give our skills to clients and expect and require fair and reasonable payment in return, and this is exactly the mutual exchange we honour with all our staff. CMP has always been a principled and ethical organisation not only in how we work with our clients, but also in how we operate as an employer, and I’m proud to say we will never use interns to further our company’s growth. |