Interns and work experience staff in serviced and shared offices up and down the country could expect to be paid National Minimum Wage (NMW) now that the government has released guidelines stating as much.
The guidance from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills details when someone should be entitled to NMW and includes a checklist for employers to make sure those who are entitled receive it.
Work experience provides a good opportunity to encounter the work place and for employers to make decisions about taking on staff, but all those involved need to be clearer on when they are obliged to pay a wage.
A survey by Graduate Prospects which asked 22,000 graduates last year about their placements found that 43 per cent went unpaid for the work.
Edward Davey, employment relations minister, said: “When a worker is entitled to the minimum wage, they should be paid it and we will continue to enforce the law.”
