Rejected petition Clarity is required for employers on when they should pay an intern if they are to be incentivised to create paid internship opportunities.

With one in five young people currently out of work, youth unemployment is one of the UK’s greatest challenges. Helping organisations to incentivise and understand internships can offer new opportunities to those requiring assistance into employment. Employers currently lack such clarity. While some interns are being paid to make tea, others are not being paid to carry out the full responsibility of a post. Furthermore, workers (and non workers) can file legal claims from day one of their involvement with an organisation on the basis of alleged discrimination and unfavourable treatment. This could take place in organisations that have both volunteer, internship and apprenticeship opportunities (eg charities) but lack the clarity that is evident in the current work place regarding the remit of these schemes and when the work they do deserves payment. Providing clarity is therefore critical to stimulating employer confidence and employment opportunity.