What should you do if you’re discriminated against during your internship? Het Meldpunt Zorgwekkend Gedrag (reporting center for concerning behavior) is always willing to listen. ‘Don’t wait, report it,’ advises Jan Julius Buwalda.
In collaboration with ECHO, the expertise center for diversity policy, Windesheim recently facilitated the third annual conference ‘Internship Discrimination Day’, themed ‘Internships as a Key Moment.’ More than one hundred education professionals, policymakers, employers, students, and other stakeholders registered and gathered at Windesheim Zwolle on November 27th. Jan Julius Buwalda, diversity and inclusion advisor for the Healthcare and Social work Division, led the event from Windesheim.
Lots of interest, the topic is hot…
‘Yes, and unfortunately, such a day is necessary. But it’s also very good that the experts and stakeholders are able to connect with each other, so they can share experiences and explore the next steps together when it comes to tackling internship discrimination, so that everyone doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel on their own.’
The Netherlands is becoming more hardened, they say. Discrimination is almost “normal” again. Have you noticed this? Is the number of reports increasing?
‘That’s a familiar sign, and the problem is getting worse. The number of reports seems to be increasing, partly because the problem is getting bigger, but also because it’s being mentioned more often. Thanks to increased awareness, the introduction of reporting centers, and the internship discrimination protocol, experiences are coming to light sooner. While students used to often only report what had happened to them at the end of, or even after, their internship, fortunately, this is happening sooner.
What are common signs of discrimination?
‘For example, you see and hear that students aren’t even invited to a job interview based on their last name. Interns can also face unpleasant treatment because of their skin color, both from colleagues and clients. They have to do unpleasant chores, are sidelined, are bullied, aren’t allowed to wear a headscarf, aren’t scheduled, and so on. So discrimination is not just about skin color or religion; there can be all sorts of reasons.’
You wonder why companies and institutions where this happens systematically would even hire interns they don’t consider fully…
‘Well, I wonder about that myself sometimes. In healthcare, the workload is very high, and any intern is welcome, but this is obviously the case at many other companies and organizations. Besides, it’s my personal impression that many companies and institutions want to show they’re diverse and inclusive, when in fact, they’re not at all.’
It is of course a big step for interns who feel they are being discriminated against to report this.
‘That’s right. Often, a lot has already happened before students report it to, for example, a supervisor, a corporate confidant(e), or a diversity and inclusion advisor. We don’t immediately initiate all sorts of procedures. We’re there first to ensure that students can tell their story and explain the steps they can take. Students often want to be heard, and sometimes they leave it at that. We document their story and say: if you change your mind, or if the situation worsens, come back. The final decision to do something about it is up to the student. Whatever we do, the student must support it.’
If they don’t want to take action, you do nothing?
‘If a student doesn’t want to take action, we generally won’t. However, we will remain involved: we’ll stay in touch and check in from time to time to see how things are going and whether the situation has changed.’
If a decision is made to do something, what are the first steps?
‘When a decision is made to take action, we follow a set protocol for internship discrimination. This protocol stipulates that the Windesheim internship supervisor is involved first, after which a report is sent to the intern’s direct supervisor and the internship supervisor within the internship organization. We then have a meeting with them, and we try to keep the issue “on the down-low” without involving everyone at once. If necessary, we can take further action. We approach the matter openly and ask thorough questions. The goal is primarily to resolve the problem through one or more effective discussions.’
Don’t you end up too easily with a weak “interim solution”? Everyone should be more or less equal…
‘There are two sides to every story. But ultimately, we’re here for the student. It’s a delicate process, but if something goes wrong, a strong message must be sent and it must be handled properly. Students must be able to move freely and safely in the place where they do their internship or work.’
Often, I think, it’s just one single colleague being unpleasant without the company noticing.
‘It’s a mix. Often, it’s an individual colleague who’s affecting the intern, but sometimes it’s the entire company. If it’s just one person, they might not even be aware of the impact they’re having, or there might be something else going on. In those cases, a good conversation is often enough to clear the air; this, of course, varies from case to case.’
Does it happen that, as a reporting center, you advise the university to stop sending interns to a particular company or institution altogether?
‘That does happen. It’s a very radical step, and many steps precede it. The goal, of course, is to reach a mutually agreed-upon solution. But if internship discrimination persists in any form, the collaboration can be terminated. We’re talking about a student’s professional career, after all. If it already gets off to a bad start, what’s next?’
Finally, what should a student do who feels discriminated against?
‘Don’t wait, but report it to your internship supervisor or the reporting center for concerning behavior. This might simply be to vent your frustrations, and sometimes that’s enough. We won’t do anything without your permission.’
text: Marcel Hulspas
photo: Stefan Lucassen
