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One need only look at the Marlins player payroll for evidence that owner Jeffrey Loria is cheap, but news that the team is under federal investigation for wage violations have nothing to do with anything on the field.
According to FairWarning, a Labor Department spokesman confirmed that along with the Los Angeles Dodgers the team is under investigation but would not give details exactly what for.
A Marlins spokesman said the club does not believe “that any of the Marlins’ current labor practices are improper. . . . We can confirm that the Marlins have been and will continue to cooperate fully with the Department of Labor.”
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Though, the Labor Department did confirm that the Dodgers are being investigated for unpaid internships, a practice that is the subject of lawsuits and investigations in a myriad of industries beyond sports, including the media and the financial industry.
It does appear that the Marlins do rely on a lot of interns. In fact just yesterday the team hosted an internship fair at the stadium with intern opportunities offered in the following areas:
Accounting, Audio/Video Technical, Ballpark Operations, Baseball Operations, Broadcasting, Community Outreach, Corporate Partnerships, Digital and Social Media, Facilities & Engineering, Information Technology, Marketing and Promotions, Marlins Foundation, Media Relations and Communications, Retail Operations, Sales and Customer Service, Ticket Operations, Turf Management and Video Production.
That’s a lot of internships, and they all last for a year and come with full time hours. However, according to the press release all those internships are paid. According to the Department of Labor, all paid internships that don’t meet requirements of the interns being “trainees” must be compensated with at least minimum wage and overtime for hours worked over forty a week.
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