Friday News Roundup: Lessons from Healthcare.gov and End of Unpaid Internships

Our weekly Friday News Roundup covers interesting (and sometimes odd) news from the world of human resources and managment. There were many lessons to be learned from events this week in the corporate world which included the end of unpaid internships at Condé Nast and a rough launch of Healtcare.gov.

It Finally Looks Like the End of Unpaid Internships 

We've been covering the ongoing debate over unpaid internships over the last few months, as more and more lawsuits are brought against big companies for abuse of such programs. This week it looks like at least one company has given up on the fight and will no longer be offering unpaid internships. Condé Nast announced on Wednesday it has discontinued its intern program, though the company still denies violating any labor laws. There has been no explanation of why the program was cancelled or whether paid positions will become available.

Lessons From the Launch of Healthcare.gov 

The government budget fight and resulting shutdown have not been the only threats to the Affordable Care Act. Healthcare.gov has had a rocky launch at best, causing headaches for citizens across the U.S. As more problems are discovered, many in the tech and project management world are using Healthcare.gov as a cautionary tale. No matter the industry, there is much to be learned from the healthcare.gov launch. If you're getting ready to implement new technology, this is a must read.

Apple Targets Microsoft Office With Free Apps 

The long-time rivalry of top tech companies heated up this week, as Apple takes aim at Microsoft's hold on the office application market. Apple announced Tuesday that its suite of office applications will now be free to anyone who purchases a new Macintosh computer or mobile device. Microsoft has dominated the corporate software market with its Office products since the early 1990's. With the rapid expansion of tablets, however, and Microsoft's reluctance to offer Office for the iPad, conditions are ideal for Apple to make a move. Could this mean the beginning of the end for Microsoft Office's reign?