Son not paid for work at local pub what can I do?

[ThisUniqueLilacBee]

My 16yo son was delighted to get a Saturday job as a KP in a local pub. He did his first shift and said that although it was very chaotic, he wanted to go back each Saturday. However, we did not hear from them, and then he got removed from the work WhatsApp group. Ok, maybe it did not work out. The problem is that it has been over a month, and they have not paid him for the shift. I sent them a nice Messenger message, and the pub blocked me! Then I sent an email, no reply. What can I do now? Even if it did not work out they legally must pay, right?

Cash in hand

I would go down OP and speak to the landlord. Should not treat young kids that way. They could have at least given him a reason why he did not get a permanent position, I bet it has knocked his confidence too, just being ghosted like that.

My son had a few shifts in several pubs at 16 and they would just mess him around, not have him in for a few weeks then expect him to just drop everything when they were going to be busy.

Ring ACAS OP: https://www.acas.org.uk

Ignore the posters saying he’s not entitled to anything because he didn’t sign a contract. Contracts don’t have to be written.

They don’t have to be written but without it, what proof does OP have that her so ln was owed a certain amount?

It was a "trial shift" they don't want him sadly he just needs to move on find something else, they won't pay him.

Minimum wage if over school leaving age.

Unpaid trial shifts are not necessarily legal so it’s worth OP getting advice at the very least, even if the advice is that it’s not worth pursuing.

It was one shift in a pub kitchen, they didn't have the curtesy to say they didn't want him, but this wont really do much i don't think.

They just used him for a trial shift and won’t pay him. This is why I tell my DC to check if it’s a trial and if they are getting paid. If there is no pay I tell them not to do it. Employers need to understand that treating people like sh*t is not on, no wonder some firms can’t get staff.

Yes, but my point is there’s no proof he did any work so what are ACAS going to do?

Agree with shame on local social media
eg:
“ Did a shift at Tossers Arms a month ago and haven’t been paid. Wondering now if it was a trial shift?? If it was , I wasn’t told. Anyone else had similar ?”

At least it will warn others.

Maybe tag the pub too, if they have a Facebook page.

Yes, and well known for 'trialling' endless new people so they get free labour.

Ask around. If they have a habit of doing this, to get youngsters to work one shift for free, then take them off the rota, you have a case. If they are a pub attached to a brewery, you can raise it with them and threaten to contact the media.

A good legal tipping point is: did he do an entire shift? If he did, he is likely to be entitled to NMW. So check the hours with him. If he did, say, 3 hours, maybe not. If they trialled someone else too and then took them on, he may not have a case.

KPing is actually a very tough job. I used to work in hospitality and the KPs were muscly little guys dripping with sweat and working like Trojans. Anyone who dithers or is slightly clumsy or slapdash won't get asked back.

I'd go the social media route as well.
You tried to speak to them and they blocked you, so go the only route you have left. At least it could save someone else from doing the same thing.

This ! Many pubs etc do this ploy especially this time of year lost count of the amount of times I have heard of these tactics “trial shift” ie free labour and then they move on to the next young person in line.

A Local pub got shamed by Facebook for not paying an entertainment act. Turns out he had done it before and with staff wages also.

I agree, either it’s zero hours (though I doubt it) or it was a “trial shift”. My niece works in hospitality and she has been to job interviews where they have asked her to do this. She’s wised up to it now. I don’t think your son is going to get any money.

Yes my daughter did a trial shift at a Premier Inn - never heard back from them!

When he gets a bit older, he might want to try https://pioneering-people.com/ (needs to be 18) for casual work, if they have any employers in your area. Their model ensures payment on the day of work, provided the YP checks in and out of the shift (disclaimer - vaguely know the staff there but don't work there myself!)

my daughter had exactly this kind of issue with a café in our local town, I went to see them and they said it was a trial shift. I said I don’t care if it’s a trial shift if somebody works then you pay them they refused. I then told them that I would report them to the local council who deal with young workers as they need to check that young workers are working the right amount of hours and not being exploited. After this very brief conversation the manager rang the owner and paid the amount owed. Do not stand for this. It is modern slavery for people to work for no moneysimple as that.

By the way, I still reported them to the council as I had heard at least 15 other girls had worked as waitresses on trial shifts and not been paid. They have recently closed down best thing for them.

Do they take a deposit for bookings or anything? If you were feeling petty then just keep making bookings for a busy night under different names and not turn up. Treat it as a ‘trial-booking’

They’ve not actually paid anything.
Shouldn’t be hard to prove he turned up and did a shift. Clearly not volunteering without that paperwork.

Simple. Write an angry post on Facebook tagging the pub in your post. Guarantee they will have a re-think and some sort of fony excuse.

A local cafe is apparently notorious for this. Someone called them out on Facebook and there were over 350 comments from people complaining about how their young family members had been used for free labour. I’d be asking for your son’s wages and if they refuse then contact your MP.

So-called trial shifts are a total con and pubs are notorious for doing this. They have an endless supply of new people doing a 'trial shift' every single week, and never pay any of them. They don't take them on either, they don't need to. Just bring another one in next week. It's an easy way for the businesses to get the work done for free.

These unpaid shifts are only legal if done as part of a proper recruitment process, and it seems that there's a massive loophole in the system somewhere.

Absolutely what others have said - trial shifts should always be paid, slavery is not legal. There are certain circumstances where unpaid trial shifts are legal but they should be for interview purposes, the worker should be supervised and observed the whole time and only for a short time, say, 3 hours.

I'd put the screws on them, OP to get his money - either by publicly shaming on social media or going down there and confronting them. The former might be an interesting option as you might discover whether the pub has form for this kind of sharp practice.

This is a matter of principle

Go down there and speak to the manager face to face and request the payment for the hours he did.

if they won’t budge then you post what has happened onto your local community group. Tell the manager that you will be doing this if he is not paid fairly for the work he did

Do NOT just chalk it up to experience. Show your son that done things are worth fighting for and doing an honest bit of work requires an honest bit of pay

Absolute shit bags!!!

Same thing happened to my then 16 year old DD at an evening cafe (takeaway and sit in). She worked really hard for about 5 hours until late at night and they gave her nothing.

Husband got his own back on them. He popped in one evening, placed a big order which they went out back to make (you pay on collection). He gave them the impression he was waiting but he left. Hopefully it cost them a lot in wasted food. Selfish pigs.