Some minor good news

Slavery permitted illegal

William Wilberforce would be happy at last,

'Unpaid Internships Deemed Illegal .....

As unemployment figures for16 - 24 year olds rise to one-in-five an Employment Tribunal has ruled that workers employed on an expenses-only basis are entitled to payment at least in line with the national minimum wage, in addition to payment for the holiday they accrue. The decision emphasises that creative industry employers are not excluded from obligations under the national minimum wage regulations.

HMRC, are reported very shortly to be issuing guidelines recognising that unpaid internships are illegal and qualify for the minimum wage. '

I think unpaid internships are now illegal in the UK (though not entirely sure as everything was a bit up in the air last time I looked, after the tribunal ruling mentioned above) - they have been in the US for quite a while - I suggest she contacts HMRC, then shops her ex-employer - if they have indeed broken the law.