UK moves to ban unpaid internships
Younger workers will be protected from employers flouting the rules on the use of exploitative unpaid internships, as the government takes a step closer to delivering its manifesto commitment to ban the practice.
On Thursday (17 July), the government launched its call for evidence on the issue. This forms part of the Make Work Pay agenda, the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, which will directly benefit over 15 million workers, half of all workers in the UK.
The Call for Evidence will run for 12 weeks, closing on 9 October 2025.
Internships offer young people invaluable experience as they build their careers. When these are unpaid or paid below the National Minimum Wage, barriers to equal opportunity are created based on where people live, how old they are, or their social background.
Unpaid internships are already largely banned under current law when they are not part of an educational or training course. The government is committed to strengthening these protections by gathering more evidence on how unpaid internships affect young people and how businesses use them to assess candidates.
“Every young person deserves the chance to build their career through quality work experience, but good employers are still being undercut by those exploiting interns by illegally asking them to work for free,” said Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.
“Our Plan for Change seeks to break down barriers to opportunity, which is why we will strengthen protections for younger workers so that internships are accessible to everyone, ensuring they have the foundations to build a strong and successful career,” he said.
