What is an Internship Agreement?

Internship Agreement between the Company and the Intern with the Intern being employed as a salaried employee on a full time or part-time basis.

An internship aims to expose students to the working culture and environment of a firm or industry that they may be interested to work in the future. It is also a way for a firm to assess candidates for their permanent roles. Typically, an internship takes place in the penultimate year of university studies. This allows a student to secure a job before completing their university studies.

The agreement outlines the intern's duties, the period of the employment, remuneration, disciplinary action(s) should they not abide by the regulations, termination and dispute resolution. The internship is related to an educational purpose and there is no guarantee or expectation that the internship will result in future employment with Company. The Intern will receive supervision from the appropriate supervisor. The supervision and education received by Intern during the internship are for the express benefit of Intern.

The Intern assumes all of the risks of participating in the internship program. By signing the agreement the intern also agrees to provide the Company with a complete record of any intellectual property which they may devise or create during their employment, and they agree to not solicit any of the Company's clients.

How to use this Document?

This document should be carefully read by the Individual Company and Intern.

Both parties should sign and return a copy, and once signed, both parties should get a copy. To avoid any future disputes, both parties may wish to have their signatures witnessed.

The Duties, Work Period, Salary and Remuneration should all be clearly stated.

If either party wishes to amend the agreement in the future, both parties should agree to do so, and the original agreement and amendments should be recorded in writing and signed by both parties.

Relevant Hong Kong Laws

In Hong Kong, internship agreement is governed by Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57) and Minimum Wage Ordinance (Cap. 608). Interns are entitled to the minimum wage provided by the act and various rights such as annual leave and rest days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to pay your interns?

Yes and No. Everyone in Hong Kong is subjected to the Minimum Wage Ordinance, where an hourly rate of $37.50 will be guaranteed for every worker. Students and Interns may be exempted from the minimum wage requirement if it fulfils certain criteria, for example, these interns must be full-time students of an institution specified in Schedule 1 of the Minimum Wage Ordinance.

What are the basic rights of Interns?

Pursuant to the Employment Ordinance, interns are entitled to rest days, statutory holidays, sickness allowance and paid annual leave.

What should I look out for in an internship agreement?

It is very important to take a look at the termination clauses in any employment contract. Not all employment goes as well as planned. Circumstances may change, and changes to employment or termination will be needed. It is very typical for employment contracts to include a minimum notice period where an employee must notify the employer in advance before their contract may be validly terminated earlier than intended.

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