Employment Law

Fair Labor Standards Act

In order for a company to be required to pay for healthcare coverage, it must be for full-time employees. Independent contractors or unpaid interns are not considered, under the Fair Labor Standards Act, to be full-time employees. However, if an internship is paid, there may be additional exclusions available.

For students completing a paid internship and averaging over 30 hours per week over the course of 120 days (does not need to be consecutive but must occur within a 360 day period), the employer may very well be required to pay for healthcare benefits for the intern.

If you are a paid intern working for the summer and you meet all of the above stipulations, it’s important for you to check on your right to receive healthcare benefits from your employer.

By Penny Loretto