So I have an intern starting in a few weeks and I was wondering what paperwork I may need her to fill out. I know that she has some paperwork from the school, but should I have her sign a non-compete (can I even do that?) or is there any other documentation I should have for her?

As a head up, she will be starting out unpaid (she has to have almost 20 hours a week for school) and then we will evaluate keeping her on as a staff decorator.

Complete side note, but for those of you with employees, what do you call your employees ie assistants, decorators, staff?

This is all I could find on interns:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-586543-.html

Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance.

Jan,

Thanks, I couldn't find much either when I searched. Thank you so much for looking!

Congrats on getting an intern! I refer to my folks as my crew or my staff, unless they pi$$ me off, then I have no problem reminding them whose name is on the sign!

I hate the term "Associate". It's really phony to me. It was big in the TQM days of the 80's when mgmt wanted to "pretend" we were all equal .... except they made more money than me, and had the authority to fire. But, yeah, other than that, we were all "equal".

Hate that term.

I would just make sure she has her school work permits. In MI they can only work so many hrs combined with school hrs.

On the noncompete thing she is only a school kid. Honetly that's what she is there for, to learn how to decorate right? The possibilities are very slim that she will ever compete with you. If she does do you have the funds to hire a lawyer to fight her, and hold her to the clause?

Mike

You might find more good juju on egullet.

Search for intern, extern and stage.

(pronounced stahj, French probably for something like work for free to learn)

Apprenticeshippy thoughts for you.

Thanks for the heads up.

As far as number of hours, she is an adult, so there isn't anything to worry about as far as child labor laws. She is grown and married with kids. She went back to school after being out for a few years.

She has said that someday she'd like to open her own shop, but she has also said that she would probably be very happy being a decorators too.

I'm pretty excited. We've discussed, upfront, that she's going to start with the not-so-glamorous (sp?-just doesn't look right) jobs, ie dishes, coloring buttercream or fondant, making boards etc.

I'm sorry I mistook it for a highschool kid.

Mike

I interned for Buddy Valastro and Elisa Strauss and I didn't fill out paperwork for either of them. Not even a non compete agreement. As for your other question, when I was an intern I felt included when they referred to their "staff" but as a paid employee I was always referred to by "assistant".

It was nothing short of amazing to work with them! I learned so much. I learned so much about precision work and also how to work incredibly fast and efficiently at the same time.