Has your phone started ringing with requests to provide internships for students eager to gain a line on their resume? If so, you are not alone. USA Today reports, however, that in light of recent litigation, companies are supporting fewer interns, fearful they will become the subject of a class action wage and hour lawsuit. True internships, however, have never been a substitute for cheap labor. The employers involved in the litigation simply got caught.

In November, we provided tips on internships after interns on the movie set of Black Swan filed suit. The Black Swan suit was followed last month by another class action lawsuit filed by an unpaid intern at Harper’s Bazaar who claims she did work that’s usually done by a paid fashion assistant.

But employers should not be fearful of providing true internships. As the calls start rolling in, every employer should ask itself one key question. Who is benefiting from this relationship? If the employer benefits, most likely the intern is doing work that the employer should be paying for. Internships are really for the student’s immediate benefit. Internships are not a clever way to save money. They are instead, an investment in the future. They take work and effort by the employer.