Howard Stern Intern Sues Over Unpaid work

[the G-man]

Former Howard Stern Intern Sues Sirius XM Over Unpaid Internships

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  A former intern for The Howard Stern Show has sued the radio personality's broadcaster, Sirius XM Radio, claiming that the company's unpaid internship program violates labor law.
  
  In a complaint filed in federal court last week, Melissa Tierney says she interned at Stern's show for five months in 2011, spending between 24 to 36 hours per week running errands, reviewing news clips and fetching food for on-air personalities and guests. She said she wasn't paid at all for her time.
  
  Tierney argues that Sirius XM cut its labor costs by wrongfully classifying her as exempt from minimum wage protections. Her lawsuit is a proposed class-action that, if given the green light by a judge, could cover other unpaid interns at the satellite radio provider stretching back to 2008.
  
  Sirius XM "would have hired additional employees or required existing staff to work additional hours" had the company not had unpaid interns like Tierney, the suit alleges. Tierney made her claims under federal and New York State minimum wage laws as well as a New York ordinance on wage theft.
  
  Tierney and a Sirius XM spokesperson didn't immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. According to the Sirius XM website, its internships are unpaid and available only to enrolled college students who will receive credit.
  
  Lawsuits over unpaid internships have become common in the New York media world. A former Harper's Bazaar intern sued the Hearst Corporation in a high-profile class-action in 2012. The magazine group Conde Nast, owner of The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, announced last year that it would shut down its internship program after it was sued over pay. The company recently settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed sum.

You know, I always figured Stern would be sued by a intern someday, but always expected it would be for sexual harassment.

But, seriously, the problem for Sirius here is that interns working for college credit are supposed to be doing "educational" work, not menial tasks or things that would normally fall to paid employees.

I suspect the company is going to have to settle this one

 

[Amaris]

If they broke labor laws, then they should pay for it. I've never been a fan of the whole unpaid internship system anyway. Sure, it offers experience, and college credit, but it's way too easy to abuse. It's like that box of snack cakes that works on the honor vending system. Sure, most people will pay 75 cents for their packet of peanuts, but there's always going to be that one guy who takes three candy bars, and drops a slug coin into the box.

 

[AgentCoop]

Whether the whole concept of unpaid internships is fair or not is up for debate, but this is just silly. She knew it was an unpaid position when she agreed to do it. If that was unacceptable to her, then she shouldn't have taken the position.

 

[JarodRussell]

Sure, it offers experience, and college credit, but it's way too easy to abuse.

Experience and college credit don't pay bills. Work should be paid, full stop.


The problem here is that she agreed to it although she knew it was unpaid. Sueing after the fact seems a bit weird. It would make a difference if she agreed to, let's say 10 hours a week, but then worked 24 to 36 hours.

 

[urbandefault]

Whether the whole concept of unpaid internships is fair or not is up for debate, but this is just silly. She knew it was an unpaid position when she agreed to do it. If that was unacceptable to her, then she shouldn't have taken the position.

This.

 

[scotpens]

Sure, it offers experience, and college credit, but it's way too easy to abuse.

Experience and college credit don't pay bills. Work should be paid, full stop.

Money isn't the only thing that has value. Whether or not the system is being abused is a fair question, but in principle there's nothing wrong with an unpaid internship. It's a voluntary agreement to exchange something of value (work) for something else of value (experience and college credit).

 

[2takesfrakes]

In my experience, interns - especially if they're hot - don't do a damn thing. These babes are chatting with eachother to the point of distraction to everyone else, when they're not texting their boyfriends or Private Messaging, online. And if its guys AND girls, the guy interns are just as bad, always chatting up the hotties and none of their menial tasks like xeroxing or stuffing envelopes get done. I have honestly never seen the value of the intern system. If lawsuits like these force employers to start paying interns, maybe they'd be given more relevant work to do. Maybe also, interns would be more inclined to do something constructive (though I kind of doubt it). But the way its set up right now it's pointless, other than to get some transient eyecandy around the office as an ornament ...

 

[JarodRussell]

Sure, it offers experience, and college credit, but it's way too easy to abuse.

Experience and college credit don't pay bills. Work should be paid, full stop.

Money isn't the only thing that has value. Whether or not the system is being abused is a fair question, but in principle there's nothing wrong with an unpaid internship. It's a voluntary agreement to exchange something of value (work) for something else of value (experience and college credit).

No offense, but I consider this bullshit. When you do work, you should be paid for it.

 

[Timby]

In my experience, interns - especially if they're hot - don't do a damn thing. These babes are chatting with eachother to the point of distraction to everyone else, when they're not texting their boyfriends or Private Messaging, online.

 

[urbandefault]

I know of at least one company who regularly hires its interns after graduation, and pays them very well. Interns who don't show up half the time, or spend their time on the job goofing off instead of working and learning, don't get the payoff at the end.

If I had to guess, I'd say that the ones who are filing lawsuits are the same ones who didn't want to work.

This may not be true in every case, but it wouldn't surprise me a bit if it were the majority.

 

[sidious618]

If you think interns regularly get hired by companies then you have no idea what the current employment scene is. Interns are regularly abused and made to do work they shouldn't have to do. It's amazing how many people, usually Americans, try to ignore the problems the working class have and try to blame the victim.

 

[Yoda]

Well, by the apparent standards of what qualifies for "unpaid" status, the lawsuit seems frivolous to me. I guess the article didn't really mention what her major was, or if the internship was advertised as being something that it's not, but if she's some kind of media major, seems like "reviewing new articles" seems like entry level experience relevant to her field. I'm going to make a wild guess here that she happily fluffed up the Howard Stern section of her resume and used it to land interviews in the past 3 years before realizing that she had been bamboozled.

Yes, unpaid internships are kind of a bullshit concept, but I agree with those that say it's not really the point in this case.

 

[Gaith]

If a quick googling is to be believed, Stern makes upwards of $80m a year. And he can't pay his interns $15/hour? Like hell he can't.

This sort of crap happens in all sorts of fields, but from a public discourse perspective, it's particularly useful to sue celebrities and entertainers, as that'll generate more headlines.

I have a reasonably high opinion of Stern, but if I were on the jury he'd be wise to make this gal a generous settlement offer, 'cause I'd happily go all Robin Hood on his ass.

 

[sidious618]

I don't think Stern made the decision on whether the intern was paid. I'm pretty sure it was the company.

 

[AgentCoop]

Stern doesn't pay the interns or staff. SiriusXM does.

 

[Gaith]

^ Same diff - if the company can afford to pay Stern that salary, they can afford to compensate their interns. Also, I'd wager that if Stern personally insisted the interns be paid, he'd get his way. "Leadership" and all.

 

[RoJoHen]

Experience and college credit don't pay bills. Work should be paid, full stop.

Money isn't the only thing that has value. Whether or not the system is being abused is a fair question, but in principle there's nothing wrong with an unpaid internship. It's a voluntary agreement to exchange something of value (work) for something else of value (experience and college credit).

No offense, but I consider this bullshit. When you do work, you should be paid for it.

Well, it really depends on the conditions of the internship. If you're doing the internship for college credit, in my opinion, it should take the place of class time. If it's in addition to class time, then yeah, I'd say you should probably be compensated.

Even so, 20+ hours sounds like an awful lot for an internship to me.

 

[urbandefault]

It all comes down to this: if you know up front it's an unpaid position, you have the option of not taking the job. If you take it and don't like it, quit. If you stay on and learn a trade and benefit from the experience, don't come back and ask for payment later.

This kind of stuff is only one reason my small business is and will remain a one man operation. No time for BS here.

EDIT: If a part time job is what you're looking for, don't interview for unpaid internships.

 

[Gaith]

It all comes down to this

Not if we legislate away the option of for-profit corporations making a certain income threshold to pull this kind of shit and enrich the top suits by leeching off the common worker in the first place, it doesn't.

 

[urbandefault]

It all comes down to this

Not if we legislate away the option of for-profit corporations making a certain income threshold to pull this kind of shit and enrich the top suits by leeching off the common worker in the first place, it doesn't.

This kind of stuff is only one reason my small business is and will remain a one man operation. No time for BS here.

Fine. It's a self-defeating concept.

Same as paying $10 minimum wage to unskilled workers. It will kill the market for entry level jobs, and we'll have even more people dependent upon government subsidized by a shrinking taxpayer base.

But if that's what you think is righteous, I won't argue with you.