<p>
</p>
<p>
Aye, but there’s the rub. If your unpaid intern is “functioning independently,” or you don’t “try to teach them things”, then you’re probably violating the labor law, which requires, among other things, that 1) unpaid interns receive training similar to that they would have in an educational environment, 2) the intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff; and 3) the employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern, and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded. My guess is that MOST unpaid internships violate one or more of those requirements. It’s a real racket for employers, and arguments to the effect that the system has to operate that way are ludicrous. The were no such things as unpaid internships when I attended college, and no requirements for internships of any type. Remarkably, we all graduated, got jobs or went on to further education, and had careers.</p>