Interns should be paid for their work, argues IRIS

Interns should be paid, argues the Institut de recherche et d'informations socioéconomiques (IRIS), which published a report Thursday that shows 84 per cent of interns work for free.

IRIS states that an internship is not only a learning activity but also a job, and interns should be paid accordingly.

Free internships have historically been justified because employers must devote resources and employees to supervising the inexperienced trainee.

Nevertheless, IRIS researcher Julia Posca insists this devalues an intern's contribution, whether in the public or private sector.

"There is a work performance that takes place during the internship," she states. "It's not true to say that no work is done."

The obligation to do an unpaid internship can also increase instability in a student's life.

"Often, students will find themselves having to give up their jobs precisely because their internship will take up most of their time," Posca said. "As a result, they find themselves without an income. Obviously, for many people, it's not possible to have no income. That's why there's debt."

Scholarship money is often not enough to make minimum wage when you factor in the hours spent on the internship, adds Posca.

IRIS estimates that paying interns would cost the government between $388 million and $501.5 million as an employer.

For the private sector, this would represent a cost of between $173.5 million and $237 million.

Posca says she does not believe an obligation to pay interns would cause many companies to stop offering internships.

She adds that the government already provides financial support to companies with interns.

In 2019, 5,954 companies benefited from a refundable tax credit for on-the-job internships.

This tax measure is expected to cost nearly $70 million in 2023.

WOMEN AT A DISADVANTAGE

Based on various student profile data, IRIS concludes that women are disadvantaged regarding unpaid internships.

The study shows that 74 per cent of college interns are women, compared to 64 per cent of university interns.

IRIS points out that health and education, which are predominantly female domains, are two of the three fields with the most university internships.

"Not paying interns reinforces the devaluation of tasks typically done by women. In the labour market, that means jobs predominantly held by women -- who are on average less well paid," deplores IRIS in its report.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 19, 2023.