Unpaid Internships

Kate Dearden Excerpts

Monday 2nd March 2026 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kate Dearden)]

The Government’s plan to make work pay is a core part of our mission to grow the economy, raise living standards across the country, and create opportunities for all. This will help tackle low pay, poor working conditions, and poor job security, all of which have been holding our economy back.

In our plan we committed to banning unpaid internships, unless they are part of a formal educational or training course. This Government believe that a fair day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay and employers should pay workers what they are entitled.

Today, we are publishing the Government’s response to the call for evidence on unpaid internships.

The call for evidence related to internships which are unpaid or paid below the national minimum wage, work trials, voluntary workers, volunteers, and work shadowing.

While voluntary workers, volunteers, and individuals who are work shadowing are not entitled to the national minimum wage, there are a small number of employers who are engaging individuals, particularly young people, under these terms incorrectly to avoid paying them.

This Government are committed to striking a balance between ensuring individuals have a choice in the type of work they do, and how they do it, while ensuring employers are not able to take advantage of individuals, especially young people, by making them work for free.

The call for evidence attracted responses from employers, individuals, and interested stakeholders on unpaid internships and internships paid below the national minimum wage, and other similar categories of people who may be conflated with interns.

It is important that employers can continue to offer genuine opportunities, such as work shadowing or work experience placements which are permitted under the national minimum wage law that can offer young people valuable insights into the world of work. We do not want to close the door on these opportunities which can be an enriching experience for young people, and we are clear we will not allow this opportunity to lead to exploitation.

The evidence highlighted that while the majority of employers are doing the right thing, there is a small minority who flout the law. This is fair on neither workers nor responsible employers. To tackle this problem, the Government will:

Update and expand the national minimum wage guidance so employers better comply with the law and workers are better aware of their rights.

Continue to crack down on employers breaking the law through existing enforcement channels and via the forthcoming Fair Work Agency.

Raise awareness of workers’ rights through communications campaigns to help young people understand their rights and what action they can take if they are not being paid what they are legally entitled to.

[HCWS1371]