Insurance Coverage for Summer Interns

Summer is a popular time to hire some interns. It’s a great way to get some extra help and give students a hands-on , learning opportunity. Making sure that your interns are as protected as your full time employees is important. Even if they are only at your company temporarily, preventing accidents and having coverage for mishaps is crucial.

Guidelines to hiring unpaid interns:

There are some rules regarding internships that you should be aware of before hiring an intern. They are outlined by the Department of Labor, and you can find it here. But in summary, if you are hiring an unpaid intern, these are the rules you need to follow:

Even though they will be in your work environment, the training needs to be similar to training in an educational setting.
The experience is beneficial to the intern.
The intern cannot replace a full time employee
The employee training the intern does not get immediate advantage from the intern.
The intern is not entitled a job after the internship
The intern and the employer are both aware that the internship is unpaid.

If you plan on paying your interns, then they should be paid minimum wage since they are considered an “employee”. If you are concerned about the legal aspects of hiring an intern, whether paid or unpaid, then talk to a lawyer. They can help you sort out what you are legally allowed, or not allowed, to do.

Create an Intern Program

A good practice is to have an outline for an internship program. This will help you guide your intern and make sure that they are getting the most out of the experience. This could range from getting them a designated mentor, having skills trainings, and assigning them projects that they can work on over the duration of their internship. Having a plan in place can help you make sure that your intern is learning and it will make sure that you are staying organized as well.

Workers Comp

If you have interns, make sure they covered for workplace injuries. Call your insurance agent and ask them about coverage for your new intern. They can help you make sure that they are covered in the event of a workplace accident. Workers compensation is important to have for interns and employees alike. When an employee (or intern) in injured at work, workers compensation can help out with things like medical bills, lost wages, and even legal fees. It’s insurance coverage designed for protecting employees and it’s mandatory for most states!

You should essentially treat your intern like another employee. Both you and they can benefit from an internship. You can gain a helping hand, and they can get valuable experience. Treat you interns well. If you have additional questions about hiring and intern and how that affects your insurance, talk to your insurance agent. They can help you make sure that both you and they are adequately covered.