The ‘Black Swan’ Case: Death of the Unpaid Internship?

If your organization uses interns—or plans to do so—take note of this month’s ruling in the closely watched “Black Swan” case. A federal court in New York said Fox Searchlight Pictures violated wage-and-hour laws by failing to pay interns who did menial tasks during production of the Oscar-nominated movie “Black Swan.” The case is a timely reminder that, in almost all cases, employers must pay interns at least the minimum wage, no matter how basic their work is.