Internship Agreement
(Learning Contract)

Summary

This Internship Agreement (Learning Contract) creates an unpaid internship and helps ensure unpaid interns are not classified as employees entitled to compensation. This Internship Agreement is intended for private employers. This template includes practical guidance, drafting notes, and an optional clause. This Internship Agreement (Learning Contract) sets forth the parameters of an unpaid internship. It addresses the criteria that employers must satisfy to ensure that unpaid interns are not classified as employees (and therefore entitled to compensation). It is based on federal law and does not address all potential state law distinctions; thus, you should check any relevant state and local laws. This template also serves as evidence that the relationship qualifies as a true internship that an employer may exempt from applicable wage and hour laws. For information on internships, see Internship Agreements: Major Drafting and Legal Issues. For state-specific internship agreement templates, see the Other Employment-Related Contracts column of the Employment Contracts State Expert Forms Chart and the Independent Contractors and Interns column of the Wage and Hour State Expert Forms Chart. Videos. For practice quick tips on responding to claims for unpaid off-the-clock time, see Wage and Hour Claims Defense: Responding to Claims for Unpaid Off-the-Clock Time Video.