There’s a tradition that has grown up in the UK, particularly, but not exclusively, in the Media industry to ’employ’ free interns. Although the law limits how long you can do this for, they get round it by calling them ‘volunteers’. In theory, the experience looks good on a CV, and might even get the intern a job in the company where they are interning.

That’s how it’s sold. And in some cases, it’s true. My partner’s daughter got her first PR job through interning and has never looked back. Unfortunately, however, too many companies are just exploiting young people who are desperate to get a foot on the career ladder.

And the Media industry is sexy, so people tolerate this behaviour. Sadly, Ebenezer Scrooge is alive and well the whole year round, not just at Christmas.

Peter Cappelli, Professor of Management at the Wharton School of business has recently written a hard hitting article in the Harvard Business Review about the low wage culture in the USA and the double standards of large Corporates who claim to be into Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). In the USA, like the UK, it’s very hard to live on minimum, so-called ‘living’  wage rates.

Here’s what Capelli has to say on the subject.