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One of Labour’s proposals to raise wages for workers is a long-awaited ban on unpaid internships. But when many interns should already be legally paid, will a ban be a material change?

Unpaid internships have been subject to media scrutiny for years. The previous Conservative government took some steps to target exploitative unpaid internships, but this fell short of any legislative action.

Back in 2017, the Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices recommended the government “stamp out” exploitative unpaid internships. Taylor’s view was that the existing laws around when interns should be paid were already clear and so he recommended more enforcement action taken by HMRC. The Conservative government confirmed that it would act on Taylor’s recommendation and, shortly after, HMRC went on to write to over 500 businesses reminding them that interns should be classed as workers and paid the minimum wage.

Whilst this may have prompted some improvements, a BBC enquiry in September 2020 reported unpaid internships were on the rise again as a result of the pandemic. Labour have now put this issue squarely back on the agenda as a way to improve social mobility.

What’s the deal with internships?

There is no legal definition of an internship or work experience. The terms can sometimes be used interchangeably, and an “internship” can be used as a label for all sorts of working arrangements.

An intern’s employment status is crucial; it determines what employment rights they will...

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