Pay for trial day in job....

[Allabitmuchisntit]

Hi ladies, dd (15) has just done 2 evenings work for a small business on a trial basis. We chatted last night and I've decided it's too many hours for her so have messaged the business owner to say she won't be back in etc. All fine. Where does dd stand with payment for the hours she has worked? She's entitled to pay for any hours she has worked there right?

Cross post.

Do you really think people are being superior by suggesting you should stay the fuck out of her communication with a potential employer.

Fuck sake.

I thinm that unpaid trial shifts are a disgusting thing.

If you are looking to take on a new member of staff then the least you .ca do is to pay them for their trial shift.

I think it is even worse when employers expect people to work more than one unpaid trial shift

Snowman read my post again and i think you'll see that I don't think they are superior. I do however, think they get the sense that they are.
Anyway it's been lovely. Once again, thanks to the ladies who answered my query.

notanurse - I'm an alien

It depends on the agreement and any notice period. I think your DD should have told the employer herself and then you could have intervened later if any problems arose.. It was a bit feeble that you messaged IMHO. Why didn't she think about the number of hours beforehand rather than messing people about like this after only two shifts.

I'm not being superior, I sympathise. I too think that unpaid "trial" days are shit, but they are more understandable if the person doesn't take the job.

I've seen unpaid trial days and no job offered, and that's really shit.

My "oh dear" was generally sympathetic; I think we all with our first child feel they are still children when they start work, but have to learn pretty quickly that part of educating them is forcing encouraging them to take responsibility for this type of thing.

It's nonsense like this that makes employers less likely to take on teenage staff. Absolute PITA.

OP's DD is 15 so a child, so really it is for OP to email and sort out about her DCs employment, and yes unfortunately trials is normally another word for unpaid

I don't think that's right, Light.

Whatever her age, she is the employee. After all, if the employer said "she's a child, I'm going to communicate with (and pay) her mum" we'd all be up in arms and saying that "old enough to work = old enough to manage our own pay etc".

Though in this case it seems the child actually wasn't ready to work; which is fine, no criticism here, sometimes the grass seems greener and joining the workforce is a heck of a shock.

I wouldn't think anything of being contacted by an employees parent if they are under 18. They are quite rightly looking out for the welfare of their child. There are many unscrupulous people out there that will take advantage of younger workers and they don't often have the life experience or confidence to confront them.

We operate a 3 hour unpaid trial shift to see if the person fits in with the team and can do the role. We then offer them the job based on that. It's quite unfair to expect anyone to work longer than one trial shift without being paid.

I would have thought a trial was unpaid. It's a chance to prove yourself before an official offer of a job.

On another note, were the hours not discussed first? I'd be a bit annoyed to have given someone a chance then have 2 shifts training wasted over the working hours.

Your daughter should really have been the one to communicate with her potential employer. Not her mummy. She may have been able to negotiate different hours.

It's crap like this that puts employers off taking on young people. Too much hassle and having to deal with parents.

Maryz thank you x.It was her first job yes. More hours than she was initially told.
But I'm confident in how I've handled it, despite the opinions of women who don't know the first thing about my dd. It really was just a post to find out her entitlement. That's all.

A short trial period of a couple of hours as part of a recruitment exercise should be fine to be unpaid, although of course this needs to be clear upfront. I would expect her to have been heavily supervised etc for the trial, not actually working.

If she's been actually working full shifts, rather than having a go at various tasks and being assessed, then she should be paid minimum wage imo. Calling it a 'trial period' does not exempt the employer from minimum wage legislation.

But the first thing is for your DD to tell you what was agreed with the employer.

She did two shifts then decided it was all too hard for her. I can't imagine asking for pay in that circumstance. She would have had someone pulled from their own duties to 'train' her, so more than likely an extra staff member needed to cover.

Sure, she might be entitled to pay, but I think you've got one hell of a brass neck expecting it when she has done her trial and proven to be useless as an employee. If she had stayed on and actually worked for them, then I would think she is entitled to pay for those days. It was a trial, she failed it (even if it was your choice as a parent).

DD1 worked for nearly a year doing 1/2 days on a Saturday unpaid. I didn't agree with it, but she didn't want me to interfere as she was learning loads and really enjoying it.

Now she works part time, is paid nearly 40% above minimum wage for her age and is highly respected in the job. It will look good on her CV in the future as it's relevant experience for what she want's to do and she has learnt a phenomenal work ethic.

Sometimes we're better off letting them learn for themselves.

I do sometimes contact her employer, but it's always over something like tax, as this is my area of expertise and it's with the consent of both DD and the employer.

Midnite - thank you. I love my brass neck

I didn't realise you were there and saw exactly what happened midnite.
Thanks for clearing things up.

It really was just a post to find out her entitlement.

There is no 'entitlement' apart from what was specifically agreed before she did the trial shifts

My teenage DS did a 'trial' shift in a restaurant, it went well, he was offered a job (which he loves) but he didn't get paid for the trial and he fully understands that.

Allabitmuch....

You absolutely did the right thing by your DD.

If only more parents would take a constructive interest in their DC's lives then the world be a better place for them.

Only on here will you find mums hating other mums for doing the RIGHT thing.

To be clearer re DDs job. Initially she asked the owner could she go in and help. After a couple of months the owner asked would she like to learn how to do the job, and made it clear that it would take approx 6-8 weeks to learn how to do it as she would be shadowing and helping another person and that this was unpaid. And then DD was to go back to the owner and discuss things,

After the shadowing DD wouldn't go back to the owner and didn't want me to contact. DH and I felt it would be an interesting lesson for DD and agreed to let her handle it. Eventually she approached the owner and sorted things out.

I asked her recently did she regret me not getting involved. She said no, she wishes she had done it sooner, but she's happy that she did it herself and that dealing with her employer has really helped her selfconfidence

Ragwort . Her lack of entitlement then? Hence asking for advice?

Maybe they wanted her to work more hours than under 16s are legally allowed to

therottweiller most parents are active in their DC’s lives, friends, employment. I certainly am but I would not email them unless it was an issue that my DC couldn’t deal with themselves. It’s about teaching your children resilience, responsibility, respect and also knowing that mummy won’t be doing their dirty deeds...

Am I the only person appalled at the idea of 'unpaid trial' work? I guess it's an extension of the unpaid intern work, which I also think is wrong.

In my day, if you worked, you got paid.