Regulating for decent work experience: meeting the challenge of the rise of the intern

Abstract

An important (if under-researched) feature of modern labour markets has been the growth of unpaid “internships” and other forms of “work experience”. These arrangements may reflect an understandable desire by jobseekers to gain a foothold in highly competitive job markets. But they can open up the possibility of exploitation, as businesses and non-profit organizations replace what might previously have been paid entry-level jobs, and may reduce social mobility. Reviewing the legal and policy responses of selected developed countries, the authors seek to lay the foundation for a more effective response to what has become a clear challenge to the objective of securing decent work.