The Horrors of Working For Free

Generation Y, my infamous cohorts the millennials, have spent a lot of time working for free, at least those who could afford to do so. With the duplicity of unpaid internships, those that could afford to work for free have spent plenty of time working for free. In some industries, like public relations, fashion, politics, and many others, internships are just something nice to have, they are a required rite of passage. This as a two-fold effect: the first being that those who cannot afford to work for months at a time for free are restricted from advancing into those careers and the second being that for those who are able to take those internships their time earning money, saving, and contributing to the greater economy is cut far shorter. In terms of retirement, it creates a long term problem because as the millennials age and reach retirement age 35-40 years from now, their retirement savings will be lower than their parents and that will mean they will be working longer and retiring on less than their predecessors.

To top off the economic consequences, millennials have to labor under terrible conditions that even with pay would be sub-standard but at least tolerable. With college credit or “experience” as a carrot they are expected to perform tasks a real employee would perform as well as work the long hours required all in the name of “experience.” Long gone are the days college graduate entering the work force and gaining experience in their field in entry level positions and moving up the corporate ladder. In 2014, they aren’t even on the ladder.

There is a new legal movement to change all this and put the power back in the hands of future young people.  With sites like Forbes and the Boston Globe publishing articles about unpaid internships making young people, “less employable” and those internships being “a waste of time,” the system clearly needs some reform. What does the future hold for internships and students? How do people get experience they desperately need in a tightening employment environment?

Only time will tell, there aren’t any clear answers.