Hi all!

I was just approched my a girl who asked if they could intern adn learn a few things from me at my shop. Has anyone ever had this? They asked for 2 weeks before school starts. If I was to do it, what should I do? A no compete clause?

Any help would be appreciated!

ACulinary school or high school student?

AShe will only be interning for you for two weeks?

A noncompete is generally not appropriate for an internship position.

If you ask me, anyone who agrees to sign a non-compete is either clueless or bogus. Are you going to sue them if they keep working in the cake business ? You can't tell someone they can't work after they have been around you.

You can, however have them sign a NDA ( non-disclosure agreement ) to protect your recipe / processes. But even that, you would have to prove that they are divulging your recipe or using them to open a business or selling them to competitors, etc. It's mainly a deterrent.

What you should really ask yourself is, can you afford an intern ( they aren't volunteers ). Would they help you with your workload ( if you're currently experiencing high volume ). Do you have the time and willingness to shadow them ( to minimize mistakes and to actually help them learn something, that's why they asked in the first place ).

It's not unusual at all for people to ask to intern in the culinary business, some culinary schools require students to do that before they can attend their school. It's a GREAT way for someone to find out about a field before they enter, to make sure that it's something they like. It's a chance to experience the reality of a job, in advance. I'd welcome them into my business whole heartedly........just like I'd want someone to do that for my young adult child.

They aren't going to learn enough in 2 weeks to protect your recipes, etc...

You bounce them around your shop working every position you have (including taking out the garbage and washing the floor).

This is not a one on one class...........she should work as an employee would (at simple tasks).

A1-2 weeks is usually how long it takes for a new employee to get on board with a business's processes, and the additional cost for worker's comp would make this not worthwhile on several different levels. If this is an unpaid internship and she ends up doing custodial work the whole time there could be some issues with local labor laws.

I also can't imagine any reputable educational institution would give credit for a 2 week internship.

I was responding to an unpaid internship and they would definitely be doing more then cleaning..........I mentioned it as an example that they should do everything a regular employee would (except nothing dangerous). If there's a lot of advanced work done, letting them shadow/observe hands off, is o.k.. I'm not familiar with any kitchens getting additional workers comp for a brief unpaid internship, there must be some other clauses in their insurance that allows this, no? If not, then it's a shadow only internship.

I don't think any culinary school will give them credit for a 2 week internship. The student would need to summit the employer for review before they could be accredited for an internship with that employer. Some culinary schools require the entering students to have done some work in the field before they can begin their program........that was what I thought she was talking about.

Thinking more on it, I am not going to do it cuz it just sounds fishy. Its wasnt for school it was "just cuz I love to bake"

I just wanted to ask, cuz I had never had this happen before.

And yes 2 weeks would be a waste of MY time :)

Thank you all

To add to the previous comments, what a previous poster suggested (everything a regular employee would do) is actually illegal under the Fair Labor Standards Act.  One of the "tests" of whether an internship can be legitimately unpaid is: "The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded."  The complete list of information is at: http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.htm.  You sure don't want a lawsuit for back wages.

The fair labor standards act that you are refering to  is in the states, I am not. 

Thank you tho.

FYI heres the rules where I am

ne such circumstance where a person can work as an intern for no pay concerns a person receiving training, but it has very restrictive conditions. If an employer provides an intern with training in skills that are used by the employer's employees, the intern will generally also be considered to be an employee for purposes of the ESA unless all of the conditions below are met:

1. The training is similar to that which is given in a vocational school.
2. The training is for the benefit of the intern. You receive some benefit from the training, such as new knowledge or skills.
3. The employer derives little, if any, benefit from the activity of the intern while he or she is being trained.
4. Your training doesn't take someone else's job.
5. Your employer isn't promising you a job at the end of your training.
6. You have been told that you will not be paid for your time.

Anyways, I am vedoing it becasue it is not through any school, and if she would liek to learn for the sake of learning, she can pay me