A special day for interns

SINGAPORE — When 20-year-old Kayleen Ang learnt about a friend who was made to work almost seven days a week during her internship, she did not know what to do about it. Then six months later in May, she was shocked to come across a viral video showing an intern getting slapped and verbally abused by his supervisor.

“I didn’t know what to do back then. But the viral video was sort of like the straw that broke the camel’s back for me … Internship means a lot to the students as it affects their grades in school. But it does not mean free labour to companies,” Ms Ang said.

Determined to raise awareness on interns’ workplace rights, Ms Ang teamed up with two friends, Mr Ryan Teo and Mr Brendan Lim, both 20, to launch the Thank Your Intern Day (TYID) movement.

The month-long campaign is the first of its kind in Singapore, according the team. It is supported by the junior membership arm of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) nEbO, where the trio met while interning early this year.

Starting from Sept 18, the team uploaded humorous weekly videos on internships on YouTube.

While depicting the desirable and undesirable attitudes of interns, the videos also end with information on basic employment rights such as maximum working hours, rest days, overtime pay and feedback channels.

The campaign culminates in an outreach event on Thursday at Raffles Place, at which employers will be encouraged to show their appreciation to interns by taking photos of themselves holding cut-out cards with phrases such as “I love my intern”. Employers can also deliver a thank-you card to their interns in the office, a service provided free by the TYID team.

A more meaningful working relationship can be created with a better understanding of an intern’s workplace rights as well as a mutual appreciation between both parties, the team said.

Mr Teo hopes the movement will draw greater attention to the issue of interns’ long working hours as he believes that it is one of the most overlooked rights.

Among other stipulations under the Employment Act — which covers interns — an employee should not be required to work more than 44 hours a week, or no more than 88 hours for two continuous weeks. Should the need to work overtime arise, employers must pay the employee for the extra hours put in.

“I think we are ignorant of the law now. Once it becomes common knowledge, at least someone can help when something happens to them (interns),” added Ms Ang.

The lack of knowledge means interns do not voice out when their rights have been violated, said Ms Gigi Low, a senior manager from nEbO and mentor for the team. “They think whatever they are experiencing is normal.”

However, she added that interns, on their part, need to “value the opportunities given by their employers”. “It’s not just about expecting the employers to appreciate them,” she noted.

Companies TODAY spoke to were optimistic about having a Thank Your Intern Day.

Changi Airport Group (CAG) spokesperson Robin Goh said it would be “an appropriate occasion” for it to show appreciation to its interns, noting that they are “an integral part of the CAG”.

“Interns should be made aware about the purpose and value of an internship. It is also a good reminder for organisations that they should provide a positive internship experience for their interns,” said Ms Cassandra Cheng, Head of Learning and Development for OCBC Bank. In June, a group of the bank’s interns, with support from a HR team, organised the OCBC Intern Appreciation Day for 100 of their fellow interns.

Mohammed Noor Talat Mahmood, 19, a polytechnic student currently interning at a public relations firm, said the TYID is a “nice initiative” for both the interns and employers. “Interns start from ground zero when they start at a new workplace. But at the end of the day, they still do help the company in any way they can,” he said.