Not paying your interns

We have already talked about internships and the legal issues surrounding paying interns. The law is quite clear about who should be paid and who is exempt – but there are still lots of companies who are not paying interns and potentially not aware of the law. Recruiter has just announced that HM Revenue and Customs are planning a media enforcement campaign – which is aimed at enforcing the law and dealing with illegal practices. A statement from HMRC says the following: "Evidence suggests that young workers who apply for internships or work experience are unlikely to proactively complain about non-payment of NMW." "Therefore, to tackle the issue HMRC will conduct targeted enforcement on those trade sectors who traditionally use interns and work experience as a means for young people to gain the experience necessary to work in these trade sectors." "Targeted enforcement activity can include (but is not limited to): Unannounced visits to companies, and educational work to help employers understand their responsibilities." If you're employing or thinking of recruiting an intern - give us a call and we'd be happy to explain the law and the interpretations.