Not that this is an indivdual to individual interaction and no company is involved. The kid has to work atleast 20hours per week for 3 months, on the project.
The argument against unpaid internships is usually that it means only the upper classes get access to a jobs pipeline for the better jobs because very poor people can't afford to work for free.
But I've done freelance work at below minimum wage rates because I controlled my hours and was paid by the "piece," not by the hour, and that helped me develop skills and an income. I was homeless at the time and too sick to work a minimum wage job.
We let privileged people work for "nothing" in order to have a shot at something better. That's the typical deal for a lot of company founders.
Saying that non rich people aren't allowed to work for little or nothing in order to better themselves is a form of denying them rights and access to a better life. It helps keep them stuck in minimum wage jobs with no hope of a better future.
As long as this isn't some undue hardship, some bait and switch deal where he is enticed with promises you have no plans to fulfill and he actually gets value out of it, I see no problem with this.
Gambling on something better is a long human tradition. All people should be allowed to make that choice if they so desire.
They just shouldn't be conned into "gambling" on something with no real payoff for themselves like so many college students have done in recent years where they are saddled with student loans, the glut of degreed individuals means their degree isn't practically a guarantee of a good salary and the only people benefiting are the banks issuing the loans and raking in the interest.
The critics claim unpaid internships benefit those who are richer (or those whose parents are more patient), but it’s not clear if banning unpaid internships will increase the total number of below-entry-level employment opportunities, as menial tasks do not generate enough revenue to justify paying a wage.
At 21 I’d guess the biggest priority is getting some kind of project on one’s resume.
Unpaid internship is in my opinion something vastly different from an amateur taking on a task on a volunteer basis. The unpaid internship is an arrangement where you (whether true or not) are putting off the vibe that the experience or notoriety of the position is it's own reward in the form of social capital. I don't offer those, nor do I encourage it.
Volunteer opportunities are different. You take on the risk for delivery of the product, and you give an amateur a shot at building skills. You're still on the hook for ultimate success. That's just between you and them.
If you are even considering doing something like tracking hours, you should be paying something, anything, even if under the table. We as a society need to value each other's time, or what does the sacrfice of one's time at no financial restitution even stand for or symbolize?
You can argue the difference is a matter of quibbles semantics, but my moral compass pegs unethical unpaid internships, and volunteering a healthy investment of an individual's time in building their skills and employability.
In your case it really comes down to intent. If you're out for free labor, no bueno. If you're out for helping him and maybe getting something you can work with at the end of it? Bueno.
I just know that even if it started with the understanding you wouldn't pay them, I'd still put aside something for them in the end, especially if the Quality is good.
Who determines hours/project length?
Assuming this project may be considered a ‘work practicum’ potentially for academic credit—- and the kid is undertaking this work to gain hands-on experience, this a good and worthy cause.
As per academic credit, it is a great point. Thx
