Hardworkdoesn’talwayspayDoesitevermakesensetocontributeyourlabourfreeofcharge?MatthewLewis,thenanout-of-workmastersgraduate,decideditdid.Sadly,theintroductionstoemployerspromisedinlieuofasalarynevermaterialised.Instead,hespentsixmonthsinterningatabusinessdevelopmentconsultancymakingsalescallswithoutpayorcommission.“Ididthesamejobastheguyswhohiredme–buttheyweresalariedandIwasn’t,”hesays.付出劳动但不收取报酬有任何意义吗?当时正处于失业状态的硕士毕业生马修?刘易斯(MatthewLewis)曾经断定,这么做确实有意义。遗憾的是,不付薪水但向用人单位推荐的承诺从未兑现。相反,他在一家商业发展咨询公司实习了6个月,做着打推销电话的工作,却未得到薪水或佣金。他说,“我和雇用我的人做着相同的工作,但他们领工资,我却没有工资。”Hisisnotanisolatedcase.Reportsaboundofunfairpractices.InFebruary,aBBCdocumentary,WhoGetstheBestJobs,highlightedtheprevalenceofunpaidinternshipsintheworldoffashionPR.Morerecently,HSBC’slegaldivisionwasaccusedofnepotismandbolsteringsocialinequalitywhenasenioremployeeimpliedthathisdepartmentlimitedworkexperiencetotheoffspringofitsownexecutives.InApril,NickClegg,theUKdeputyprimeminister,saidWhitehallwouldbaninformalinternshipsaspartofadrivetoimprovesocialmobility.马修的经历并非个例。有关不公平做法的报道数不胜数。2月份,英国广播公司(BBC)一部名为《谁得到了最好的工作》(WhoGetstheBestJobs)的纪录片着重介绍了时尚公关领域无薪实习盛行的状况。最近,汇丰(HSBC)法律部被指支持裙带关系和助长社会不公,因为一位高级职员暗示他的部门把实习机会留给部门高管的子女。4月份,英国副首相尼克?克莱格(NickClegg)表示,作为改善社会流动性举措的一部分,白厅(Whitehall)将禁止非正式的实习生制度。NowthecontroversyhasbeenstokedfurtherbyformerinternRossPerlin.Inanexposéofquestionablepractices,InternNation:HowtoEarnNothingandLearnLittleintheBraveNewEconomy,heestimatesthereare500,000unpaidinternsintheUS,subsidisingcorporateAmericatothetuneof$2bnayear.眼下,前实习生罗斯?波林(RossPerlin)又为这场争议火上浇油。他在《实习生之国:如何在美丽新经济中分文不赚并所学甚少》(InternNation:HowtoEarnNothingandLearnLittleintheBraveNewEconomy)一书中揭露了一些成问题的做法。据他估计,美国有50万名无薪实习生,他们每年为美国公司节约费用高达20亿美元。However,storiesofemployersinfashion,politics,advertisingandthemediagivingaleg-uptosonsanddaughtersofacquaintances,ortakingadvantageofjoblessgraduatesdesperateforaninsidetrack,paintapartialpicture.Foreveryallegedabusetherearealsocompaniesusinginternshipstospotoutstandingpotentialandbeatcompetitorsintheannualscrambleforthebeststudents.“Forus,internshipsareaninvestment,”saysFran?oisdeWazières,internationalrecruitmentdirectoratL’Oréal,whichrecruits3,400internsworldwide–andpaysthem.Hesaystheyreceiveanaverageofabout£1,500($2,400)intheUKand¢1,400($2,000)inFrance.但是,时尚、政界、广告和媒体业的雇主向熟人的子女提供帮助,或者对那些还没找到工作、迫切希望获得有利地位的毕业生大加利用,这些报道仅描绘出了部分真相。尽管有多种陋习受到指责,也有公司利用实习生制度物色杰出人才,在每年一度的优等生争夺战中击败对手。欧莱雅(L’Oréal)在全球招聘3400名实习生,并向他们支付薪水。欧莱雅全球招聘总监弗朗索瓦?德瓦兹耶赫(Fran?oisdeWazières)表示:“对于我们来说,招聘实习生是一笔投资。”他表示,实习生在英国的平均薪水为1500英镑(合2400美元),在法国是1400英镑(合2000美元)。Someinternsatothercompaniesreceivenon-financialrewardssuchasaphoneafterworkingonacampaignforamobilephonebrand.Moreimportantperhaps,practicalexpe...