In today's article, we'll talk about trainees and their rights. Every year, the market offers opportunities for students to demonstrate their talents. Companies are creating a new mentality and investing in young university students in search of new ideas and new directions for their businesses. Or even investing in hiring trainees to reduce the costs of hiring permanent employees, since the incorporation of trainees allows for tax exemption. However, in the same way as employees who have a formal contract, trainees also have rights protected by law.
The rights that trainees have include:
- Working hours: 4 to 6 hours a day, 20 or 30 hours a week respectively.
- 30 days' vacation.
- Transportation allowance.
Depending on the company's willingness, it may voluntarily offer the trainee meal vouchers and health insurance.
At exam time, trainees have the right to do half their workload so that they can devote themselves to the assessments.
Questions about other benefits, discounts for absences, time off, among other things, should be discussed by mutual agreement. And everything that is agreed between the intern, the educational institution and the hiring company must be clearly explained in the internship contract (Termo de Compromisso de Estágio).
The maximum duration of the internship program is two years, after which the employer must hire the intern as a CLT employee or terminate the contract.
In addition to their rights, trainees also have duties, such as complying with the timetables and activities set out in the contract and submitting a report every six months to their educational institution on the work carried out during the traineeship.
To find out more about the rights and duties of trainees, go to Internship Law Booklet and stay on top of the subject.
