Sony intern gets R73K in wage case

A former unpaid intern of Sony has been paid out £4,600 (around R76,000) after he realised he was entitled to wages.

Chris Jarvis, a graduate of Norwich University of the Arts, took an unpaid internship at Sony’s Guerilla Cambridge, who are known for their new PS Vita release, Killzone: Mercenary.

Jarvis was only expecting his travel expenses to be paid, but after working just like any another other staff member, he realised that he should at least be earning the minimum wage.

“I knew that it was an unpaid internship. At the time I was living off my student loan and overdraft but this was what I really wanted to do and the offer was the only bit of feedback I had got from all the applications I had sent off,” said Jarvis. “It was to get the experience and to learn the skills.”

Jarvis researched how to go about approaching Sony for his pay, but was turned away from the company. “They told me I was mistaken and wrong and told me I did not have to be there,” said Jarvis.

Jasmine Patel, a specialist employment solicitor, then helped Jarvis with an employment tribunal case against Sony.

“If someone is working set hours and is adding value to the company so that if they were not doing the task someone else would have to be paid to do it, then it is more likely they will be defined as a worker in law and therefore entitled to be paid,” said Patel.

Jarvis then received the £4,600 from Sony for his work at the studio.

Sony has reportedly declined to comment on Mr Jarvis’s case or its processes for dealing with internships.