LRD guides and handbook May 2019

Law at Work 2019 - the trade union guide to employment law

Chapter 7

Interns 





[ch 7: pages 220-221]

Whether or not interns are protected from discrimination will normally depend on whether they are workers (see Interns: Chapter 2). Some interns may be able to claim protection as recipients of work experience. Other sources of legal rights include common law duties of care, health and safety legislation and, for very serious cases of harassment, the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.





Unions and other campaigners maintain that it is unacceptable for interns to have such limited protection under the EA 10, especially given the high risk of harassment and exploitation arising from the inevitable power imbalance such a relationship creates. In December 2018, the Women and Equalities Select Committee recommended extending protection from harassment under the EA 10 to all volunteers and interns. The government has agreed to consult and to gather evidence as to the need for better protection.