Policies, contracts, letters, guidance and HR support tools for UK employers.
View full libraryUK-specific • Editable • Instant download • 12 months' updates
An offer letter for work experience or an internship, covering worker status, unpaid placements, National Minimum Wage exemptions and when an intern must be paid.
Use this template to:
This template brings together the key information, sections and considerations you need to create a clear, comprehensive and professional HR document. Preview the document below.
[Sender name]
[Sender address]
[date]
[Recipient name]
[Recipient address]
Dear [Recipient first name],
Offer of [work experience | internship]
We are pleased to offer you a [work experience placement / internship] with [Company Name], subject to the arrangements set out in this letter.
The purpose of the placement is to provide you with an opportunity to gain practical experience and develop your understanding of [industry / department / role / area of work].
Placement details
Placement type: [Work experience / Internship]
Start date: [date]
End date: [date]
Working hours: [days and hours]
Location: [location]
Department: [department]
Supervisor: [name and job title]
During your placement, you will have the opportunity to [describe the activities, learning opportunities, skills or experience].
You will be supervised by [name / job title], who will provide guidance and support throughout your
You've seen just 10% of how the Offer of work experience or internship letter template is structured. Get the complete editable template instantly and customise it for your organisation.
Need the complete Job offer process?
Explore the Job offer templates toolkit
An offer of work experience or internship letter is a formal document used by an employer to confirm the arrangements for someone joining the organisation for a defined period of work experience, an internship or a similar placement.
The template sets out the key details of the placement, including the start and end dates, working arrangements, location, department, supervisor and the purpose of the opportunity. It also provides space to explain the activities the individual will undertake and the learning or development objectives of the placement.
The template includes specific wording to help employers document whether the placement is unpaid because the individual is not a worker, because a specific National Minimum Wage exemption applies, or because the individual is a worker who must be paid. This helps avoid treating all internships or work experience placements in the same way when the legal position can differ.
Not every internship or work experience placement has the same legal status. An individual who simply observes and learns may not be a worker, while someone who is required to perform work or services may be a worker. Where someone is a worker, the employer needs to establish whether a specific National Minimum Wage exemption applies or whether they must be paid at least the applicable minimum rate.
As well as the core offer, the template covers workplace expectations, confidentiality, health and safety, attendance, supervision, learning objectives, changes to the placement and arrangements for ending it. It also includes an acceptance section so that the individual can formally confirm their agreement to the placement.
The template is suitable for HR teams, employers and managers offering short-term work experience, internships or structured placements. It can be adapted for different types of placement and provides a clear written record of what has been agreed before the individual starts.
Related HR resources and workflow
Explore the HR resources that may be relevant before and / or after using the Offer of work experience or internship letter, helping you understand the wider process, maintain appropriate documentation and follow a consistent approach.
Our Work Experience Plan Template streamlines the process, ensuring a well-structured and organised work experience program for students.
Use these best practice actions, recommended timescales and process stages to understand when and how the Offer of work experience or internship letter should be used, helping ensure each step is handled consistently and appropriately documented.
Understand the common mistakes to avoid when using this HR template, helping you reduce risk, prevent unnecessary costs and ensure the process is handled correctly.
A worker is generally someone who is personally required to perform work or services for an organisation under an agreement or arrangement. A genuine non-worker placement, such as work shadowing, involves observing and learning without an obligation to provide work or services. The reality of the arrangement matters, not the label given to it.
Only where a specific National Minimum Wage exemption applies. If someone is a worker and no exemption applies, they must normally receive at least the applicable National Minimum Wage.
No. A specific exemption can apply where the student is undertaking required work experience as part of a UK-based further or higher education course, the statutory conditions are met and the placement does not exceed one year. A student undertaking an unrelated internship, including a gap-year placement, is not exempt simply because they are a student.
Relevant exemptions include qualifying student work experience, work experience undertaken by people of compulsory school age, certain government training and work experience programmes, qualifying government pre-apprenticeship schemes, qualifying Jobcentre Plus Work Trials and certain voluntary worker arrangements. The precise statutory conditions must be checked before relying on an exemption.
Not as a way of avoiding National Minimum Wage obligations. If the individual is actually a worker, describing them as an "unpaid intern" or "volunteer" does not remove their entitlement unless a specific statutory exemption applies.
AI can produce a professional-looking letter, but the difficult part is getting the HR and legal framework right. An internship cannot simply be labelled "unpaid" and the worker/non-worker distinction and specific National Minimum Wage exemptions need to be considered.
This HRDocBox template builds that decision-making into the document, giving you separate wording for a genuine non-worker, a worker covered by an exemption and a worker who must be paid. It also includes the relevant exemptions, practical examples, compliance information and implementation guidance.
Rather than relying on a generic AI-generated document that may overlook an important distinction, HRDocBox provides a UK-focused HR template designed to help employers document the arrangement consistently and reduce the risk of getting the payment position wrong.
How this content is developed and reviewed
The Offer of work experience or internship letter template is developed using a practical HR methodology that considers current UK employment legislation, ACAS guidance, CIPD good practice and the real-world HR process it supports. Templates are regularly reviewed and updated, with additional reviews triggered by significant changes to legislation, guidance or established HR practice, helping ensure each document remains practical, relevant and suitable for UK employers.
Darryl Horn, Chartered HR Director
Darryl is a Chartered HR professional with over 25 years' experience in senior HR and employee relations roles.
He has extensive practical experience of managing job offer processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.
HRDocBox has been creating practical UK HR documents since 2009.
"Darryl provides support and advice with excellent judgement, and has a strong understanding of people, policies and UK employment legislation."
"He is someone I trust; consistent, dependable, and committed to doing things properly."
Job offer toolkit
13 templates
£34.90
Whether you employ 5 people or 50, hrdocbox gives you the structure, documents and expertise needed to manage employees professionally and legally.
Professionally written and fully compliant with UK employment law
Access a free contract template instantly - or save 10% on any document today.
Use this code at checkout for 10% off anything!
Includes instant download, updates, and full access to your HR templates.
Recruitment library
130 templates
Full library
776 templates