The EEOC does not extend legal protection to interns compensated for their work with academic credits towards a degree from an intern’s university or relevant experience aiding an intern’s desired career goals according to the EEOC website.

But some students have already experienced sexual harassment in the workplace and are asking the State legislature to pass a bill that would protect interns from sexual harassment.

A human resources management senior who wished to have her name omitted from this article, experienced harassment from one of her coworkers while interning throughout the summer for an automaker in Detroit.

“My boss was gone for the day and one of the male employees came in and (asked me) … started asking me all these questions,” she said. 

“He actually asked me to go with him and to meet with his financial advisor.”

She said the employee had been verbally reprimanded for similar actions in previous instances. However, after her boss’ dismissive response, she didn’t feel comfortable pressing the issue further because she “didn’t feel comfortable as a student, I didn’t have any rank.. I don’t have any any pull there”. 

The male employee harassing her and other interns was a 20 year employee.

“I wasn’t in an internship program where I felt like they (the individuals overseeing her internship) were always wondering how I was doing, like checking up on me. So that kinda made me withdraw back from saying anything else” she said.

Her internship was paid, giving her legal protection from workplace harassment according to the guidelines on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s website.

Employers of unpaid interns are not legally obligated to protect unpaid interns from workplace sexual harassment because the EEOC regulations that should have in theory protected her, only apply to paid employees.

ASMSU State Liaison Abbie Reed said the organization has met with State Rep. David Knezek, D-Dearborn Heights, to talk about the bill.

“We’re introducing (Knezek’s bill) to the General Assembly this week and we’re just basically advocating for it ... Bringing awareness to it,” Reed said.

“We just think it’s a really important issue because so many kids at this school and every school have to either have an internship for their major or probably choose to have an internship for the experience,” Reed said. “If we are going to be sending students to these internships we should make sure they are protected.”

The EEOC website states protections apply to an unpaid intern receiving “significant remuneration” such as such as “a pension, group life insurance, workers' compensation, or access to professional certifications” from their university or a 3rd party on behalf of the university. The EEOC website states protections against harassment and discrimination also apply if an intern completes unpaid hours as a prerequisite for employment i.e. an apprenticeship.

While on a federal level interns do not receive legal protection from workplace discrimination at the state level, Michigan could be joining the small number of states and localities protecting interns from workplace sexual harassment and discrimination if the legislation introduced by Knezek passes.

Presently the states and districts that have intern legal protections in place are Oregon, California, Illinois, New Jersey, Connecticut, New York and Washington D.C.