Internships for most act as the bridge between the deep and murky waters of post-graduate job finding. Whether it was an internship position for which you took a break in your degree in a sandwich course, or whether it was after finishing the degree as a way to get valuable experience before the full-time job, most will agree that it acts as invaluable experience. However, the likelihood is that most of the internships that you have seen advertised have little or no salary promised with it, usually citing the wage offered as limited to \u2018travel expenses only\u2019.<\/p>\n
This practice has caused a stir of late with HM Revenues and Customs checking into over 200 companies amid reports that the schemes were being used as a form of cheap labour, raising the question as to what it is that constitutes work that makes an intern qualify for the UK National Minimum Wage salary. Here\u2019s what is outlined on the HMRC site:<\/p>\n
Internship rights to national minimum wage<\/strong> –\u00a0Saying or stating that it doesn\u2019t apply The simplest way to look at it would be if you are regularly doing work that would usually require a current paid employer to do it if you were not there, then you may be eligible to receive payment for it.<\/p>\n Promise of future work<\/strong> Source: https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/employment-rights-for-interns<\/a><\/p>\n The government recently released news that more is going to be done to protect interns\u2019 rights to fair payment, published on 11th<\/sup> November and available to view here.<\/a> These guidelines have led people who have completed internships to claim a wage from their host organisations.<\/p>\n
\nThe pay that you are entitled to depends on the employment status that is held while working; as a worker,<\/a> a volunteer,<\/a> or an employee.<\/a> An intern is entitled to the National Minimum Wage if they count as a worker. Employers can\u2019t avoid paying the National Minimum Wage if it\u2019s due by:<\/p>\n
\n–\u00a0Making a written agreement saying someone isn\u2019t a worker or that they\u2019re a volunteer<\/p>\n
\nAn intern is classed as a worker and is due the National Minimum Wage if they\u2019re promised a contract of future work. If an intern does regular paid work for an employer, they may qualify as an employee and be eligible for employment rights. However, while you may feel that you might feel that you are entitled to a wage, it is advisable to exercise politeness and procedure when and if you enquire.<\/p>\n