Internship regulations need 'a more co-ordinated effort'

By Teona Baetu. Experts say it's a 'patchwork' of rules across country protecting youth transitioning to work. When Vancouver's Fairmount Waterfront Hotel advertised last month for an intern to bus tables, labour groups and media commentators questioned if unpaid internships are exploitative.
As the number of internships available in Canada rises, it's critical to look at how governments protect youth in the transition from school to work, says Andrew Langille, a Toronto lawyer specializing in youth and workplace law.
Langille says the gaps in the laws for interns are larger than just exclusions from minimum wage, and he says that legislation across the country needs to change or be be updated. More...