Trial Runs

DyldeBrill

Lately I've been hearing more and more about employers giving people trial runs in their work place and not paying them a cent!

My sister went on a trial run with the intention that she was going to get the job. She was called in once and again a second time, so she was sure that she was going to get the job, until she never heard a word back or received any payment whatsoever!

Now she is only 16 years old, which is pretty sly on the employers behalf.My sister is not the only case in which this happened to, its happening everywhere which I think is a disgrace!

Why should employers get away with these "Trial Runs" and exploit young teens in order to save themselves a bit of money! I would report them, but who exactly do I report them too.Then again it's legal in what they are doing but is it right that they are allowed do this?

What are your views on this?

antodeco

Aw, i was hoping this was a post about when you push to hard on a fart and a small shart comes out, letting you know that full runs are on the way.

Turtyturd

My view would be that it's not happening everywhere.

SEPT 23 1989

Are we talking about "work experience" that you do in transition year in school?

Seachmall

Never heard of this practice.

My recommendation would be not to take a job without agreeing on a wage first.

HondaSami

I'd imagine it only happens to young people, could be wrong.

Mr Benevolent

That's normal in certain industries such as professional catering, a one day trial. Anything more isn't worth it.

Mince Pie

Happened to me, was handing my CV in everywhere and anywhere and a coffee shop owner asked me to come in for a trial for a couple of days. Had me in the kitchen cooking and cleaning. Then after the two days said she would give me a call. Asked when I would get paid and she looked at me like I had just murdered her first born and said you don't get paid for a trial and sure thats how it works over here now. :mad:

DyldeBrill

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Are we talking about "work experience" that you do in transition year in school?

No we're talking about "real" work here. 2 have someone work 2 shifts without pay is wrong in my opinion

DyldeBrill

Seachmall wrote: »

Never heard of this practice.

My recommendation would be not to take a job without agreeing on a wage first.

True but jobs are hard to come by these days so I can understand my sisters reasoning.

The Backwards Man

I don't see anything wrong with it. When someone came to us looking for work they got a week to prove themselves, if they were good enough they got paid and hired, if not they slung their hook.

This was all explained beforehand and never was a problem.

HondaSami

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I don't see anything wrong with it. When someone came to us looking for work they got a week to prove themselves, if they were good enough they got paid and hired, if not they slung their hook.

This was all explained beforehand and never was a problem.

Bit unfair not to pay them for their time imo. You could go months like this never paying anyone.

NothingMan

In Australia in the hospitality industry it's standard to offer someone a trial after an interview. Usually these last 2-3 hours and then they let you know if you're hired or not. Once my gf worked her ass off for a 5 hour trial unpaid, but she was offered the job.

I think a full day or anything more than a few hours is exploitation and could be used to get free staff in during a busy period and that shouldn't be allowed.

Mince Pie

HondaSami wrote: »

I'd imagine it only happens to young people, could be wrong.

Nope, I'm not what you would call young but had just moved back from the UK so wasn't aware of the practice.

FatherLen

DyldeBrill wrote: »

2 have someone work 2 shifts without pay is wrong in my opinion

that sentence is wrong in mine.

Lauratron

This has happened to me before and seems to becoming pretty common in the catering and service industry. I've just finished doing a trial for a cafe in city centre. I have done two shifts (both full days work) with them so far, no mention of payment. I still haven't been told if I have the job yet as there are other people on trial too. However I have been asked to work all of next week, about 30 hours work, still no mention of payment or if I have the job.

Is it illegal if I work a 30 hour week and they don't pay me? I don't think I'm going to do it if I won't be paid, but surely employers should have rules to adhere to in regards to trial periods?

ahnowbrowncow

Lauratron wrote: »

This has happened to me before and seems to becoming pretty common in the catering and service industry. I've just finished doing a trial for a cafe in city centre. I have done two shifts (both full days work) with them so far, no mention of payment. I still haven't been told if I have the job yet as there are other people on trial too. However I have been asked to work all of next week, about 30 hours work, still no mention of payment or if I have the job.

Is it illegal if I work a 30 hour week and they don't pay me? I don't think I'm going to do it if I won't be paid, but surely employers should have rules to adhere to in regards to trial periods?

That's ridiculous, hearing too many instances of this kind of thing. Is anyone working there getting paid?

Prodigious

FatherLen wrote: »

that sentence is wrong in mine.

me 2

mkdon05

Surely a company would not be insured to have someone working on their premises that is not a member of staff.

UCDVet

I'm not a lawyer - but this sounds illegal to me. There are minimum wage laws after all. If someone comes in for a day, they are still working for a day. That means they have certain rights and you have certain legal obligations.

If a trial doesn't work out - fair enough. But if you were happy enough to let them scrub dishes for 8 hours, then you need to pay them for 8 hours of work.

Shamrock231

Not sure if some of you are aware, but in some Airlines, professional pilots are MADE PAY THE COMPANY for the priviledge of working for them, so if that's allowed, I can't see working for free on a "Trial" not being allowed.

Google "Pay To Fly" of "P2F" if you want to learn more.

I remember getting a days 'Trial' once, they paid me €20 for the day, and when we were finished said they'd call me if they were interested. Never heard back from them. I worked 9 hours, so at €2 and a bit an hour that's well below minimum wage. Didn't seem totally unfair to me at the time.

Alter-Ego

Lauratron wrote: »

This has happened to me before and seems to becoming pretty common in the catering and service industry. I've just finished doing a trial for a cafe in city centre. I have done two shifts (both full days work) with them so far, no mention of payment. I still haven't been told if I have the job yet as there are other people on trial too. However I have been asked to work all of next week, about 30 hours work, still no mention of payment or if I have the job.

Is it illegal if I work a 30 hour week and they don't pay me? I don't think I'm going to do it if I won't be paid, but surely employers should have rules to adhere to in regards to trial periods?

If they're not going to pay you for the 30 hrs, then name and shame.

kneemos

I thought people were hired and the first three months were a trial period,work without pay is taking the mick.

Fr_Dougal

Lauratron wrote: »

This has happened to me before and seems to becoming pretty common in the catering and service industry. I've just finished doing a trial for a cafe in city centre. I have done two shifts (both full days work) with them so far, no mention of payment. I still haven't been told if I have the job yet as there are other people on trial too. However I have been asked to work all of next week, about 30 hours work, still no mention of payment or if I have the job.

And what did they say when you asked them? You did ask them, right?

Esoteric_

Lauratron wrote: »

This has happened to me before and seems to becoming pretty common in the catering and service industry. I've just finished doing a trial for a cafe in city centre. I have done two shifts (both full days work) with them so far, no mention of payment. I still haven't been told if I have the job yet as there are other people on trial too. However I have been asked to work all of next week, about 30 hours work, still no mention of payment or if I have the job.

Is it illegal if I work a 30 hour week and they don't pay me? I don't think I'm going to do it if I won't be paid, but surely employers should have rules to adhere to in regards to trial periods?

Ask them?

I've done an unpaid trial once, for four hours. I did it on the promise that I'd be told at the end of the 4 hours whether or not I got the job.

They stuck to that, and offered me the job after the 4 hours was over, along with paying me for the 4 hours because I got the job.

If you're not being told immediately after the trial whether or not you get the job, then you'd be a fool to work for free tbh.

DoozerT6

Slightly off topic, but still related - I spent a whole summer working in a café a few years ago, while a permanent staff member took some time off. I worked 9-5. At 4.55pm one day, I was told by the owner that this was my last day. The regular staff member was coming back tomorrow and I was finished at 5pm. Goodbye. So I got five minutes notice that I was being made unemployed. That was bad enough. What REALLY got to me was that I realised at 5pm that the other staff members on duty had obviously been told this was happening before I had.

Not illegal, not a trial period (I worked, and was paid, for the whole summer), but still. A ****ty way to do business. It's not like I would have thrown in the towel if he'd given me a weeks notice and done nothing around the place, I'm not like that and would have hoped he would have known that after working for him all summer. Had a devil of a job to get my P45 out of him too, which I needed.

Anyone else been treated like this?

Edit: yes I did know that the job was only for the summer, but I'd still like to have gotten a bit more notice that my time was up.