Intern Bill of Rights
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You have the right to a professional environment free of discrimination and harassment, where the
intern enjoys the same respect as other team members. -
You have the right to be compensated; if this is not in the form of a stipend or salary, then it
can be in-kind. For example, tickets to shows, college credit, formal introductions to artists whom you admire
with coffee or lunch paid for by the company, publication, reading or workshop of your own work, etc. You have
the right to propose and negotiate expenses for travel and/or housing. -
You have the right to dedicated one-on-one mentorship time with at least one professional in the
area of your internship (i.e. general management, literary management) and the right to ask for mentors in other
areas of interest. -
You have the right to a pre-internship meeting with your intern supervisor to set appropriate
expectations for success in the workplace, and to get those expectations in writing before your
internship begins. If additional work arises, you have the right to have another conversation regarding the scope
of your work, and to receive those updated duties in writing. -
You have the right to have the organizational culture and structure defined for you. You have the
right to ask and be told with whom to raise issues without fear of reprisal. You have the right to an environment
that promotes mentorship for career planning. You have the right to receive regular feedback about your work so
that you can strengthen your skill set while offering services to the organization. You have the right to
adequate instruction, resources, opportunities and training. You have the right to be provided with any resources (office supplies, etc) needed to complete an assigned task. While every job includes mundane
tasks that must be accomplished (e.g. making copies, sorting and filing paperwork), you have the right to be
assigned and/or be allowed to assist with dramaturgically-focused work that will challenge you creatively and
critically and help you develop as a professional in the field. -
You have the right to ask to be compensated for any task outside of your internship
responsibilities, especially if it is one that is usually provided by a paid staff member. At the end of your
internship, You have the right to meet with your supervisor and/or mentor to identify intern successes and
strengths and offer constructive feedback on progress toward your career goals.
