Olsen Twins Settle Interns Lawsuit For $140K
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have agreed to pay $140,000 to a group of 185 interns who claimed they were overworked, according to a new filing in Manhattan Supreme Court.
In the court filings, the interns alleged they worked up to 50 hours per week for months at a time for the Olsen twins. Each intern will receive approximately $530 each and the remaining payout will go to their lawyers if a judge approves the agreement.
"It was like 100 degrees outside. I’d just be sweating to death," former design intern Shahista Lalani said. She worked for the Olsen's The Row. "I probably carried like 50 pounds worth of trench coats."
Lalani said she rarely got a break and she and other interns
"You're like an employee, except you’re not getting paid," Lalani said. "They’re kind of mean to you. Other interns have cried. I’d see a lot of kids crying doing coffee runs, photocopying stuff."
The settlement includes interns who worked at the company since 2009.
Umm, isn't an internship you being an employee for free? Have I missed out on some new definition? As for the amount? That is the twins' cigarette budget for the week so I think they got it.
17 comments:
I have never seen them speak, just sulk (except as toddlers on that show) they must have sent the demands through assistants
Yeah I always thought interns were free labor granted in some companies they do get a small stipend but the majority of interns are not paid anything. This has a lot to do with the fact that most internships turn into promotions to paid positions in the company after your internship is over, but that's not always guaranteed.
That 50+ hours a week though that should be the bigger issue and should have demanded a larger payout for each.
As little a pay out as this is, it sounds like a nuisance lawsuit the twins settled just to make go away. Probably no meat to the story at all.
My wife has interns and she pays them.
She does this on the advice from an attorney -- so she wouldn't get sued in the future. Smart move.
According to my wife's attorney: Companies that use unpaid interns are subject to the same labor laws regardless of pay status. He warned her: "Interns are NOT slaves; NOR are they free labor."
So, my wife's advice: "Pay at least minimum wage to interns and have spelled out written duties they are to perform."
This sounds as if the Olsen girls abused the "interns."
Yikes...as Enty pointed out, after the lawyers for the interns take their 33%, that leaves roughly $93k left to split between the 185 interns....meaning they'll only get in the $500 range. Seems hardly worth it for the interns individually but I guess the attorneys can't complain. Interns can be paid nowadays, and it seems those who aren't are compensated in other ways...given fantastic references, good chances for full time employment, discounts on merchandise, etc.
Not all Internships are unpaid. They that get paid don't get much though.
This is pocket change for them, it must of been without merit or they would not have settled so low. It would have cost way more to pay minimum wage for a year each intern. We don't know what perks they got, or job references that they wouldn't get otherwise.
This type of post is why I don't think Enty is a lawyer. There was a lawsuit a few years back that held interns needed to be paid. (Actually, I believe it was over an unpaid intern on the film The Black Swan) There was a later appellate court decision that I think gave six criteria for a job to qualify as an unpaid internship. So, unless the internship met all of these criteria, then the interns needed to be paid.
that is chump change to them. they are such creepy little ghouls
I have been an unpaid intern in the apparel industry. It is a common practice, and yes, you do work 50/60 hour weeks leading up to a collection. But what you get from that is having the company on your resume, showing you can work the hours and have the dedication. Having graduated to the real world, that experience was invaluable as it provided me with the knowledge of how to get the job done.
Imo, these interns thought it was going to be like a tv fashion show with "normal" hours, cocktail lunches and wearing cute outfits. The reality is, the fashion industry is hard work, long hours and not glamorous. That said, I love it and wouldn't trade my job for anyone else's.
185 former interns???? How many work for them at a time??
and that is only the ones that joined the suit. I assume a lot probably didn't.
In People, Gwyneth Paltrow said she has 65 people working for Goop blog, so 185 is probably reasonable since 2009.
Good to know since I want to start my own Goop. But with cheap shit.
They are not aging well.
Yeah but it IS about principle. As someone said above, interns are NOT slaves or free labor but a billion companies use them as such. They keep them on the hook with phony 'possible' job offers and just burn them out on tasks they could gain no possible knowledge, skills or experience from to avoid having to pay office assistants, PAs and general dogsbodies a fair wage. You take an unpaid internship to gain skills and knowledge, NOT to do cleaners' jobs for them.
A lawsuit like this hopefully makes someone at Olsen Inc think twice about company treatment of interns in future - to be pulled up or have a lawsuit brought on something like this a second time would NOT be a good look.
Erin, if I gave the impression that I don't agree with you, then I apologize..because I do. Interns can (and frequently are) paid nowadays, and you are right...they are not free labor. Sadly though, while I agree with your sentiment, I don't think this outcome will have as big of an impact as you are hoping it will - and I feel this way due to the relatively small settlement amount. It's a drop in the bucket for the Olsens. If it had gone to trial I think it would have been a great opportunity to set an example for similar situations. I've heard so many horror stories of celebrities abusing their "help" due to egotism (I.e "you should be HONORED to be on my payroll and in my presence because I'm famous" mentality), and it's inexcusable, and will continue unless awareness is brought about. Casey Affleck is a prime example...he quietly paid and the sexual harassment claims went away, and he went on to win an Oscar. The only way change can be brought about is by the refusal to settle a lawsuit of this nature, and by insisting on a trial. Settlements tend to include NDAs so terms of them (monies paid) often remain private. Just my opinion...
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