Law no. 1.569 of 12 December 2024 on internships in the workplace was published in the Journal de Monaco on 20 December 2024 (the “Law“). The Law imposes new requirements on organisations wishing to host higher education interns. Here are the main points to bear in mind:
The Law sets an age limit for interns at 29. This rule, although subject to certain exceptions, is one of the major advances of this reform. In addition, specific residence and immigration requirements apply: depending on their situation, interns must provide proof of a valid residence permit or be enrolled in an educational establishment in Monaco or France.
The maximum duration of an internship is set at six months, unless an exemption is obtained from the Employment Office. A minimum allowance is also introduced for any internship lasting more than two months.
In addition, the legal framework emphasises that under no circumstances can an internship replace a permanent position. Similarly, the Law prohibits the award of an internship to a position that has recently been made redundant or that involves dangerous tasks.
In order to prevent any abuse of interns and to provide them with suitable conditions, the Monegasque legislator has introduced a limit on the number of interns that can be taken on within a structure, this limit being proportional to the number of employees in the company.
Even before taking on an intern, any organisation must now obtain prior individual authorisation from the Employment Office. This application, along with the required documents, must be submitted at least fifteen working days before the planned start of the placement. The deadline for processing the application is set at eight working days. In the absence of prior authorisation, it is strictly forbidden to take on an intern.
The reform also provides for penalties in the event of non-compliance. A first violation can result in a fine of between 75 € and 200 € per infringement, while a repeat violation exposes the organisation to penalties of up to 2,250 €, in addition to the consequences of any recharacterization as undeclared work.
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A.L.F.A. MONACO