Working With Interns: Intern Contract Templates vs Employee Contracts
The employment contract Whether an internship agreement qualifies as an employment contract follows imperatively from the law. A contract is an employment contract if the following three essential elements are fulfilled: (i) the employee’s obligation to perform work, (ii) the employer’s obligation to pay salary and (iii) the presence of a relationship of authority. The internship agreement The internship agreement is not specifically regulated by law. The parties are therefore in principle free to agree on the conditions under which the internship agreement will be concluded. Due to the three essential elements of an employment contract, an internship agreement could in fact be an employment contract. However, there is no “work” within the meaning of an employment contract if the activities are primarily meant to expand the knowledge and skills of the intern, also in the light of the completion of his/her study program. If this is the case, the relationship between the company and the intern will not qualify as an employment contract. Best practices To prevent internship agreements from being regarded as employment contracts as much as possible, the following best practices can be followed:
- Mention in the internship agreement that the agreement was concluded to help the intern to expand his/her knowledge and skills within the company and that the parties explicitly do not intend to conclude an employment contract;
- Use terms like “internship provider” and “intern” rather than “employer” and “employee”;
- Agree that the intern will receive an evaluation in the interim period and at the end of his/her internship, preferably in line with their coursework or curriculum; whether they are in high school or college/university
- Ensure that the intern can expand his/her knowledge and skills and that the educational objectives therefore prevail over the performance of productive work;
- Limit the duration of the internship agreement to a maximum of six months, unless the intern requires a longer internship with regard to his/her study program; and
- Pay a lower internship allowance than the minimum wage (or as comfortable of a wage as you prefer to give)
Feeback around bringing an intern onboard It’s best to treat interns as potential employees, as you can groom them to fit within your organization, but aren’t explicitly committed to them long term. GIven that, building an actual intern job description puts you in a good standing to set your expectations, document them, and clearly have consistent conversations with candidates. Request or require things like an internship resume, cover letter, references, etc. Check to see if they have prior, preferably, relevant skills or work experience and screen them with either a background check or some light probing via social media to ensure they meet your expectations of who you bring into your company. If your internship program specifically targets college students, state that in your job posting/description. Get a sense for other student resumes via Google or LinkedIn so your expectations are set from the beginning, as these folks may not be coming with a wealth of experience for you to evaluate on paper. As a hiring manager when working with students, you can also specifically look to see if they have volunteer experience, or participate in extracurricular activities as signs to get higher quality candidates. Resources: Example internship resume samples Internship cover letter examples
Your Signing experience is worth celebrating!
ApproveMe is easy document signing for busy people. Built on the belief that every new agreement with a customer or client should be celebrated.
[COMPANY LETTERHEAD] [INTERN NAME] [INTERN ADDRESS] [INTERN ADDRESS] Dear [INTERN NAME], PRINCIPLE STATEMENT OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF YOUR INTERNSHIP Welcome to [COMPANY NAME]. This document outlines the Terms and Conditions which apply to your Internship with [COMPANY NAME]. I agree understand that purpose of this agreement is to expand upon my knowledge and experience in the field of [AREA OF BUSINESS]. I also agree and understand that I will be evaluated by my supervisor as to the development and knowledge of the learning and educational experience with to maintain regular contact with [COMPANY NAME]. 1. The commencement date of your intern placement is [BEGIN DATE]. 2. Your intern placement will be for a fixed period of [LENGTH OF INTERNSHIP], and end on [END DATE]. If all goes well and the business is progressing well, there is the possibility of a permanent role. These opportunities will be discussed with you towards the end of the placement. 3. Your work base will be at the office located at [OFFICE LOCATION], however [COMPANY NAME] reserves the right, with appropriate consultation with you, to change your work base location should the needs of the business require of change of your work location. 4. Your expected working hours will be [hours per week] hours week Monday to Friday. [COMPANY NAME] may require you to vary the pattern of your working hours if required on a temporary or permanent basis should the needs of the post require this (for example, meetings, calls, contact with customers or external bodies). 5. Overtime payments will not be paid. [DELETE IF UNPAID] 6. You will be subject to the terms and conditions as agreed and amended from time to time by [COMPANY NAME] as outlined in any of its policies, procedures, handbooks and other relevant documents. 7. The salary for your role is $[wage per hour] per hour. [OR] This is an unpaid internship and no compensation will be made for duties provided for [COMPANY NAME]. 8. If [COMPANY NAME] makes an overpayment to you to which you are not entitled, or is more than that to which you are entitled for whatever reason, you agree to allow [COMPANY NAME] to recover the overpayment by deductions from your salary or other payments due to you. Any deductions will normally be made over the same period that the overpayment was made. It is in your interests to regularly check your pay check details. [DELETE IF UNPAID] 9. You will be paid [frequency of payment] for the hours worked in the previous pay period. A pay period is from [pay period start] to [pay period end]. [DELETE IF UNPAID] 10. You are obliged to give [COMPANY NAME] two weeks’ notice to terminate your internship. [COMPANY NAME] is obliged to give you two weeks notice before terminating your internship. 11. You are required to report any sickness absence as soon as is practicably possible to your immediate supervisor and provide a doctors explanation of sickness where sickness lasts three days or more. 12. During the course of this Internship, it may be necessary for [COMPANY NAME] to share proprietary information, including trade secrets, industry knowledge, and other confidential information, to you in order for you to complete your designated duties. As an intern will not share any of this proprietary information at any time, even after the termination or expiration of this internship. You also will not use any of this proprietary information for your personal benefit at any time, even after the termination or expiration of this internship. 13. You hereby agree that, while you are an intern with [COMPANY NAME] and for one (1) year following the termination or expiration of your internship with [COMPANY NAME], you will not (i) recruit, attempt to recruit or directly or indirectly participate in the recruitment of, any [COMPANY NAME] employee or (ii) directly or indirectly solicit, attempt to solicit, canvass or interfere with any customer or supplier of [COMPANY NAME] in a manner that conflicts with or interferes in the business of [COMPANY NAME] as conducted with such customer or supplier. 14. This document does not serve as an employment contract, but rather specifies the goals, intent and details of the Internship. This agreement constitutes the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the Internship. There is no guarantee or expectation of employment with [COMPANY NAME] at the conclusion of this internship. Any offer of employment will be at the sole discretion of [COMPANY NAME]. If you are in agreement with the above terms and conditions please sign both copies of this statement, retain one and return the other to me. Yours sincerely, [COMPANY NAME] ______________________ [AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY OF COMPANY] I accept this appointment on the terms and conditions stated above, and agree to the following: SIGNATURE______________________________________ [INTERN NAME] [INTERN ADDRESS] [INTERN ADDRESS] [INTERN PHONE] [INTERN EMAIL] DATE_______________________
To Access the full contract
Unlock lifetime-access to this contract and 100+ more templates, today!
or
Unlock lifetime-access to this contract and 100+ more templates, today!
Only $99 bucks. Pay once. Unlimted access forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you write an internship contract?
What is an internship contract?
- Duration of the internship
- The tasks involved in the internship
- Salary, if any
What is an internship agreement letter?
What should be included in an internship contract?
Your internship contract should include:
- The hours and days of work.
- A list of tasks and duties.
- Clear expectations on how interns will be compensated and the length of time the internship will last.
- A list of what is expected from interns and what they can expect from their employer.
Do you need an internship agreement?
There are many benefits of having a written agreement in place before you start your internship. For instance, it can help you avoid conflicts later on when one party feels that they deserve something more from the other party. It also prevents miscommunication about expectations for your time and evaluation from your employers from happening in the future.
Do interns get a contract?
It is important for both parties to read over the contract before proceeding with an agreement. It should include specifics about what the employer expects from the intern as well as what they expect from their employer during their time with them.
When should I use an internship agreement form?
Are interns self employed?
What is the difference between contract and internship?
Interns usually have a smaller workload than regular employees and they may be required to perform tasks that are not considered core responsibilities of their company or organization. In addition, interns usually have less responsibility and authority than regular employees in the same organization.
What is a Internship Agreement?
Who needs a Internship Contract?
How to write a Internship Agreement
What must a Internship Agreement have?
In order to have a valid contract, the agreement should have the following:
- The duration of time that can be agreed upon
- Duties and responsibilities of both parties
- A list of benefits for both parties
Do Internship Agreement’s have to be in writing?
What should I put in my Internship Agreement?
- Title
- Duration of the intern’s employment (Length of time or until the intern has learned all the skills)
- Payment (weekly, monthly, hourly)
- Benefits (if any)
- Hours of work (hours per week, hours per day)
- Location of work (are they allowed to work remotely?)
- Misc. Questions, such as confidentiality and termination
How to make a Internship Agreement
The Agreement should include:
- Specific tasks that will be assigned to the intern
- Specific skills that will be taught to the intern
- The length of time for which this agreement will last
- A description of any remuneration or compensation provided to the intern during their time at the company
How long are Internship Agreement good for?
What are some Internship Contract examples?
Where can I find an internship agreement template word?
What needs to be included in an internship agreement document?
1) The name of both parties of the agreement.
2) A description of the internship program, including duration, work hours, location and position.
3) Scope of work to be performed by interns.
4) Name and contact details of a contact person for both parties of the agreement.
5) Details on fringe benefits offered by company to interns - including free housing, meals, transportation allowance etc., if any.
6) A statement on what happens when this agreement expires or ends - whether it is renewed or not renewed or if there is a notice period that needs to be followed before it can end.
7) The signature from both parties.
Do you have a sample unpaid internship agreement?
Unpaid internship agreement vs non paid internship agreement
How to write internship agreement doc
An internship agreement should include the following:
- A description of the position's responsibilities, including hours and location
- The duration of the internship
- The type of work performed by the intern, as well as its relevance to his or her future career goals
- The expectation for interns to provide feedback on their experience with a job offer in mind
- Compensation details such as stipends, housing, or mileage reimbursement
How to use an online signature with a paid internship contract template doc
If you liked this Internship Agreement Template,
you might also consider downloading these sample agreements 👇
Personal Loan Agreement Template
We've drawn up free personal loan agreement template word to help you as you to grow your client base. Download our free Word & PDF contract today.
Book Publishing Contract Template
We've designed sample book publishing contract template pdf to help you as you to scale your business. Download our free Word & PDF agreement today.
Service Agreement Template
We've created master service agreement template sample to help you as you to scale your business. Download our free editable Word doc contract today.
Prenuptial Agreement Template
We've got sample prenuptial agreement template word for you to use in your relationship. Protect your property. Download our free prenup Word doc & PDF contract today.
Vehicle Bill of Sale Template
We've designed a printable motor vehicle bill of sale template for Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) sales. Download our free legal PDF Word doc today.
Model Contract Template
We've designed model contract template agreement for photo shoot for photography business owners. Download our free editable PDF Word doc contract today.
Send Contracts in Minutes
Unlock the power of WP E-Signature on your website using your branding today!
Get Started Now