????春去夏來，許多大學生正在計劃自己的假期，而希望體驗一下職場生活的大學生則會去尋找實習機會。

????據估計，美國公司每年約聘用150萬名實習生，其中一半沒有工資。因為有機會一腳踏入職場，有人為此而心存感激，免費工作對他們來說沒什么大不了的。但2010年電影《黑天鵝》（Black Swan）劇組工作的實習生提出的集體訴訟卻改變了這種思維，而且產生了深遠的影響。這些實習生要求劇組支付工作報酬，同時希望禁止電影公司福克斯探照燈（Fox Searchlight）在未來繼續使用無薪實習生。

????不論訴訟結果如何，它都說明了很多問題：各家公司應該如何衡量實習生工作的價值？實習生是否有權利像正式員工一樣獲得工資？

????實習生獲得薪水是非常合理的事。向實習生提供薪水以支付生活開支是公平的做法，尤其是對于來自低收入家庭的年輕人而言，因為他們無力承擔無薪實習生活。此外，向實習生支付薪水也可以幫助雇主吸引更優秀的人才。例如，谷歌（Google）積極招聘實習生，同時給實習生提供豐厚的薪水，安排他們參加實質性的項目。

????然而，把是否應該向實習生支付薪水上升到國家最低工資辯論的高度卻并不是正確的做法。實習在很大程度上是一種訓練，適用于普通工作的規定卻不一定適用于實習。是否要向實習生支付薪水，應該是雇主自行決定的事情，與法律無關。

????這是因為，不論是否有薪酬，實習都能帶來很多好處；有時候，實習生從實習經歷中獲得的收益要超過他們服務的公司所獲收益。最大的好處是純粹的工作經歷。實習生對于自己希望進入的行業或職業可以獲得有價值的見解。很少有人一開始就高高在上；大多數人都是從底層做起，一步步走向成功。

????此外，實習還可以教給實習生良好的職業道德，這是在學校中學不到的東西。年輕人在進入競爭激烈的職場之前，必須學會謙遜，接受工作沒有高低貴賤之分的這種觀念，認可行政管理系統等。雖然在一家快餐店當收銀員也能獲得這些技能，但如果年輕人希望成為一名時裝設計師，一家優秀時裝設計公司的工作經驗和推薦比在麥當勞（McDonalds）的工作會更有意義。

????另外需要考慮的一點是：商界的一條簡單信條是，獲得的報酬越多，“了解”自己工作內容的機會便越少。在面試中或職場上，實習生，尤其是無薪實習生，很少需要遵守與正式員工同樣嚴格的標準。人們對實習生的預期往往更低，允許他們犯更多錯誤。這種情況更有利于年輕人成長，因為他們需要時間、培訓和耐心，才能達到公司要求的能力水平。

????在大學期間，筆者曾打過三份工：兩份是在華爾街經紀公司的無薪實習，一份是在零售店擔任有薪兼職售貨員。實習期間，筆者的工作就是接電話、沖咖啡、打印信件等等。從事三份工作并不輕松，但滿負荷的工作讓我不得不將自我放在一邊，學會如何工作。當我在投資銀行獲得第一份正式工作后不得不在高壓環境下長時間工作時，我可以應付自如。在銀行的實習或許沒有給我實實在在的薪酬，但卻為我提供了寶貴的培訓。

????通過法律訴訟來壓制無薪酬實習的危險在于，許多公司可能出于預算限制或純粹因為一種理念，于是干脆縮減、甚至完全取消實習項目。

????如果沒有實習生，公司可能會受到不利影響，但對于畢業生而言同樣如此。如果沒有實習計劃，許多年輕人將沒有機會學習關于工作與生活的重要經驗，為下一步發展做好準備。這是社會契約中應該保持的一個重要部分。

????或許，我們是不是可以找到一個在對所有人都有利的中間地帶呢？（財富中文網）

????本文作者桑賈伊?桑赫伊是一位政治和商業評論員。他曾在拉扎德和德利佳華兩家投資銀行任職，還曾為對沖基金Ramius效力。桑赫伊目前是中端市場廣播服務提供商戴維森媒體集團的董事。作者擁有哥倫比亞大學商學院的工商管理碩士學位，還著有兩部驚悚小說。

????譯者：劉進龍/汪皓

????As we head from spring into summer, many college students are planning their vacations while those looking to get their first taste of the working world are likely hunting for internships.

????It is estimated that U.S. companies hire about 1.5 million interns each year, half of them on anunpaid basis. Working for free might not be a big deal for some who are just grateful to have their foot in the door, but a class-action lawsuit led by interns who worked on the set of the 2010 film, Black Swan, could change that mindset and have far-reaching implications. The plaintiffs want back pay for their work and seek to bar the film's producer, Fox Searchlight, from using unpaid interns in the future.

????However the lawsuit goes, it could say a lot about how companies should value the work of interns and whether interns have a right to a paycheck like employees

????It's perfectly reasonable for interns to be paid. Stipends for living expenses are only fair, especially for young people from low-income households, who may not otherwise be able to afford an unpaid internship. Paying interns also helps employers draw better talent, such as atGoogle (GOOG), which actively recruits interns and pays them handsomely for working on substantive projects.

????Nevertheless, it would be wrong to elevate the fight over intern pay to the level of seriousness accorded to the ongoing debate over raising the federal minimum wage. For the most part, internships are training wheels, and the rules applied to them shouldn't be the same as a regular job. The decision to pay interns should really be at the discretion of employers -- not a matter of law.

????This is simply because there are many benefits to internships, regardless of whether it's paid or not; and at times, interns get a lot more out of the internship than the companies they intern for. The biggest benefit is pure work experience. Interns often gain valuable insight into industries and careers that they're looking to pursue. Few start at the top; most successful people work their way up from humble tasks.

????Internships also teach work ethic, which young people don't necessarily pick up in school. Lessons such as humility, the acceptance that no task is beneath one's dignity, and recognition of the chain of command, are all important to learn before a young person is ready to enter a competitive workforce. True, some of those skills can also be acquired as a cashier at a fast-food restaurant but if a young person wants to become a fashion designer, for instance, work experience and a reference from a good fashion design house is a lot more relevant than one from McDonalds (MCD).

????Another thing to consider: A simple tenet of the business world is that the more you get paid, the less runway you have to "learn" your job. Interns, especially unpaid ones, are rarely held to the same rigorous standards during the interview process or in the workplace as actual employees are. The expectations of interns in general are lower, and tolerance for mistakes is higher. That's to the benefit of young people, who need time, training, and patience to reach the level of skill that businesses require.

????During college I held three gigs: two unpaid internships at Wall Street brokerage houses, and a paid part-time job as a sales associate at a retail store. In my internships, I answered phones, fetched coffee, typed up letters, and many other things. Having three gigs was not easy, but the full load forced me to put my ego aside and learn to work. When I got to my first real job in investment banking and had to work long hours in a high-pressure environment, I was able to handle it. My banking internships may not have paid me, but they did provide me with useful training.

????The danger with filing lawsuits to squash unpaid internships is that many companies, either due to budgetary constraints or simply as a philosophy, may curtail or even kill their internship programs in response.

????And while businesses would certainly be worse off without interns, the reverse holds true as well. Without these programs, many young men and women would lose the chance to learn important lessons about work and life that could prepare them for the next step in their development. It is an essential part of our social contract that should be maintained.

????Perhaps there is some middle ground to be found that benefits everyone?

????Sanjay Sanghoee is a political and business commentator. He has worked at investment banks Lazard Freres and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, as well as at hedge fund Ramius. Sanghoee sits on the board of Davidson Media Group, a mid-market radio station operator. He has an MBA from Columbia Business School and is also the author of two thriller novels.