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Factsheets
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Unpaid Work

Unpaid work can take on different forms - including vocational placements, unpaid internships, unpaid work experience and unpaid trials. Unpaid work arrangements can be entered into for a number of reasons. These include:

  • to give a person experience in a job or industry

  • to test a person's job skills

  • to volunteer time and effort to a not-for-profit organisation.

These arrangements can be initiated by employers, the person wanting the work or experience, or education/training institutions.

This resource from the Fair Work Ombudsman delves into this in more detail.

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