Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think unpaid job trails should be illegal?

41 replies

FeelingExploited · 16/02/2019 19:33

I did a 3 hour bar shift last night. The job was quite easy but the training could have been better. Got a text saying I'd been unsuccessful with no explanation. I spent 3 hours working for free and feel I've wasted my time for a job I actually needed.

I made minor mistakes but even the bar supervisor that was normal as she made so many major mistakes herself. I served the right drinks at all times and always smiled at the customers. That's why I think I've been exploited in some way. The interview day was an easy pass with about 100 other people there.

It's like they wanted to find people to do free work during a busy night and then use that excuse to tell people that haven't go the job for some free labour.

OP posts:
Housingcraze · 16/02/2019 19:34

I agree it free labour and training takes time to build confidence 3hours is nothing!

Original poster
FeelingExploited · 16/02/2019 19:34

Job trial obviously

OP posts:
FairyMoppings · 16/02/2019 19:37

Yep, sounds like they're just getting free trails in every night to run the bar. Awful. Agree they should be banned UNLESS a thorough assessment with valid points for not hiring are presented. Disgusting

Vulpine · 16/02/2019 19:37

Perhaps but I wouldn't ban work experience which is different

SauvignonBlanche · 16/02/2019 19:39

DD had a trial shift last week, quite a few were given this ‘opportunity’, there are normally 2 staff on duty and she was one of them.
She didn’t get the post but they saved on a staff member for each person they gave a trail too - what a scam! Angry

Original poster
FeelingExploited · 16/02/2019 19:44

Work experience IS different.

I can imagine the bar were getting to ready to roll in the next victims after my shift to run through the whole night.

Sauvignon, I wonder if it was the same club

OP posts:
Original poster
FeelingExploited · 16/02/2019 19:46

Exactly, and the 30 minute training was bugger all. We had about 5 minutes to get used to the tills before customers started coming in.

How can I remember how to make a jagermeister without even them showing us

OP posts:
longtimelurkerhelen · 16/02/2019 20:22

A lot of places do this now, get loads of people to do a free trial, so they don't have to spend money on staff. Should be banned imo. It is also quite cruel to get your hopes up for a job too. People might have spent money they don't have on an outfit, travel expenses etc.

In my area they get named and shamed on FB for this unethical liberty taking.

ForalltheSaints · 16/02/2019 20:29

There should be a limit on even work experience.

Original poster
FeelingExploited · 16/02/2019 20:45

I'm actually glad I live across the road for the club but I did spend £10 on a black top as all black is the uniform. Must be annoying to hear such bad news to anyone who travelled far especially as the shift ended at midnight.

Work experience is a week long isn't it? And only for year 11's/sixth formers.

OP posts:
Original poster
FeelingExploited · 16/02/2019 20:46

I might make a ruckus on FB and wonder if there's other who have gone through the same thing

OP posts:
LilaJude · 16/02/2019 20:54

YANBU, it’s totally exploitative.

louderthan · 16/02/2019 20:57

It is absolutely disgusting and well worth naming and shaming OP.

IceRebel · 16/02/2019 21:00

YNBU It's crap, but people keep offering to work for free so companies have no reason to change.

Original poster
FeelingExploited · 16/02/2019 21:08

Yeah I was a bit Hmm when they offered an unpaid trial shift. Even my other job paid for 2 days of training- shame it's zero hours.

I guess people offer to work for free because they want experience for their desired career. Even then, wouldn't there be issues with insurance?

OP posts:
MrsPinkCock · 16/02/2019 21:11

Free trials are only lawful if they are part of a genuine recruitment exercise. If they are abusing that right and simply using “prospective” employees as free labour, that is unlawful.

Proving it could be difficult, but you or anyone else taken advantage of on this thread would be entitled to the minimum wage if it was a sham exercise...

Original poster
FeelingExploited · 16/02/2019 21:13

Free trials are only lawful if they are part of a genuine recruitment exercise

Could you go in to this a bit more?

Would a recruitment exercise involve interviewing and scanning documents?

OP posts:
PupsAndKittens · 16/02/2019 23:58

I totally agree. I had a job trail last Sunday. Although I thought the trial went well, I knew as soon as I left the building that I had not been successful. They told me that I will definitely get a response within 48 hours. I didn’t, so I decided to ring them again on Friday and they promised me I would hear by 3:00 yesterday, I haven’t. There is part of me that wants to keep on chasing them until I get an answer just to piss them off. The T and Cs on my trial was that I would only get paid if a position was offered. It doesn’t look like one will be.

YANBU at the very least I think expensives should be paid. I also believe that it should be a serious legal requirement that anyone who is interviewed/trialled must be made aware of the outcome as its courtesy as You give up time to be with them.

JasperKarat · 17/02/2019 00:12

IME of working in bars and restaurants when I was younger, people on work trials or on job experience shifts actually took up more regular staff time than they contributed, so if it's a scam to get free labour it's a poor one

AGHHHH · 17/02/2019 00:14

YANBU at all.

MiniMum97 · 17/02/2019 00:22

I agree, trial shifts with no pay should be illegal. They should have to pay the hourly rate for the job. That would stop employers using it as free labour.

YouBumder · 17/02/2019 00:31

YANBU it’s a complete pisstake.

Thinkinghappythoughts · 17/02/2019 00:38

This is rife in the hospitality industry. Husband is a chef and has been caught out a couple of times. Should be made illegal. But next time, ask if you will get paid. If they say that you only get paid if you are hired, then it is fairly good indication that they are using you for free labour.

MissGuernsey · 17/02/2019 01:00

Hi there

Unpaid work trials should be made illegal. They seem commonplace in the hospitality sector.

Last year I attended an interview with Ritter Courivaud in Alperton London. They are purveyors of fine food to restaurants etc.

The interview was for a part time customer services position. Answering emails from customers etc. Part-time and unsocial hours. The interview consisted of tests and a formal coversation about the job role and my experience. The interviewer telephoned me the following day and asked me to come in for a four-hour unpaid work trial. Alarm bells started to ring when she told me they were still interviewing for the role. I rung ACAS for advice and they told me not to attend the work trial. I sent a mildly abusive email to HR stating that the trial was unnecessary for the role in my opinion. They seem annoyed that I had not seized the opportunity.

Avoid this company ladies!

Emeraldshamrock · 17/02/2019 01:05

My Dniece got a job unpaid until she completed her training, it was the first time I heard of it, bloody right they should be illegal.

Swipe left for the next trending thread