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

Abstract

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.