Welcome to ORGATEC’s channel! Have you ever considered hiring interns for your company? Besides being an excellent opportunity to train future professionals, internships have their own rules, benefits for both sides, and a much lower labor cost for the employer. Today, we’re going to show you everything about how hiring interns works, what the duties, obligations, and benefits involved are.
What is an Internship?
An internship is a supervised educational activity that allows students to apply in practice what they learn in the classroom. It is regulated by Law No. 11,788 of 2008, known as the Internship Law. It’s important to highlight: an internship is not employment and does not create an employment relationship.
General Internship Rules
For an internship to be valid, a Commitment Term must be signed by the company, the student, and the educational institution. The maximum workload is 6 hours per day and 30 hours per week. The intern is entitled to 30 days of leave for every 12 months of internship; if the internship lasts less than a year, the leave will be proportional.
Company’s Obligations
Companies hiring an intern must ensure adequate supervision, provide activities related to the student’s field of study, and respect the workload. For non-mandatory internships, the company must also pay a stipend and transportation allowance.
The Stipend: Financial Aid with Benefits
The stipend is a monthly payment made to the intern as a form of incentive and support. It is not a salary, but rather financial aid. Therefore, no labor charges apply to the stipend, such as social security contributions, FGTS, paid vacation + 1/3, or 13th salary. This makes the cost for the company much lower than hiring an employee under CLT.
Key Benefits for the Company
Hiring interns offers significant advantages, both financial and strategic:
- Cost Reduction: Means fewer labor and tax charges. Under a CLT contract, the company bears salary, social security, FGTS, paid vacation, 13th salary, and various social charges. In an internship, these charges do not exist. The company only pays the stipend, transportation allowance, and, if desired, additional benefits. This represents a significant reduction in payroll expenses and taxes related to hiring.
- Talent Development: Allows companies to develop talent early, shaping future professionals according to the company’s culture.
- Work Environment Refreshment: Helps refresh the work environment with new ideas and perspectives.
- Reduced Turnover: Many interns are hired permanently after the learning period, which contributes to reducing turnover.
Benefits for the Intern
For students, an internship is a unique chance to apply what they’ve learned, gain valuable practical experience, and increase their employability. And if everything goes well, they may even be hired permanently, starting their career with experience inside the company.
Challenges and Disadvantages
Of course, there are also challenges. For the company, there is the adaptation period and the need for supervision. For the intern, the stipend is usually lower than a market salary, and certain activities are restricted by law.
Conclusion: A Win-Win Partnership
In the end, an internship is a win-win partnership. The student learns and gains experience, the company trains future professionals, and also benefits from reduced costs. When well-structured, the internship is a solid bridge between academia and the job market.
Count on ORGATEC for this and other matters regarding intern hiring. See you next time!