Unpaid Intern Sues for Bad Rap |
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Wednesday, August 21 2013 |
A former intern is suing rap star Sean (Diddy) Combs' record company, alleging she was used like a regular employee and should have been paid. Rashida Salaam worked three to four days a week, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, for Bad Boy Entertainment from January 2012 to May 2012. Her duties included "picking up lunch and coffee" and "running personal errands" for paid employees. Although she agreed to take the job knowing it was an unpaid internship, Salaam has filed a class-action lawsuit against the record company on grounds that it violated minimum-wage laws. Her lawsuit seeks back wages plus interest for the hours she and other unpaid interns worked. According to Salaam, fellow unpaid interns wrapped presents and decorated the office during holidays; they received no training. “I have no animosity against Bad Boy. But I was taken advantage of as far as wages go. I was naive,” Salaam said. "Money doesn't mean anything to me. I'm taking this risk for all the interns out there." When an intern receives no wage, “the primary recipient of the benefits should be the intern — not the company,” said Jeffrey Brown of Leeds Brown Law, the firm representing Salaam. —Source: NYDailyNews.com
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