Unpaid interns in New York City are finally receiving the safeguards against discrimination/harassment that should have been afforded to them long ago. The New York City Council voted unanimously to extend the protections of the New York City Human Rights Law to unpaid interns. Interns will now be protected from illegal discrimination and harassment, similar to how paid employees have been since the New York City Human Rights law had gone into into effect.
The amendment is as follows and defines an “intern” covered by the statute as “an individual who performs work for an employer on a temporary basis whose work: (a) provides training or supplements training given in an educational environment such that the employability of the individual performing the work may be enhanced; (b) provides experience for the benefit of the individual performing the work; and (c) is performed under the close supervision of existing staff.”
The amendment will be in effect 60 days after Mayor De Blasio signs into law.
As always, if you believe you or your family member was and/or has been discriminated against in the workplace, please do not hesitate to contact the employment discrimination attorneys of Risman & Risman, P.C. at (212) 233-6400 or contact us online.