Not paid for trial shift WWYD

[ImALittlePea]

Not sure if the right place but anyway...

End of Oct I did a trial shift in a local restaurant. Was told trial was paid. Was offered part time job but decided to work in family business for the time being (various reasons, including DH's work becoming very heavy at the time, and opportunity to work at home during baby's naps etc was preferable to working evenings 2-3 times a week). Spoke to the manager who was very understanding, kept door open for me to apply again etc. He told me to send bank details for payment of the trial, which I did. But it still hasn't been paid.

I don't know whether I should contact again to highlight that it hasn't been paid. It's about £30 I'm due, which is not much I know, but I'm only working 8ish hours a week in the business so I don't have much money coming in. DH is well paid so we don't need the money as such (although I kind of do personally), and I feel like I'm going to come across as a miser or something for chasing it up. But OTOH, I earned it so shouldn't I get paid?

WWYD?

Voting:
YABU - leave it, you'll look like a weird Scrooge for chasing such a small amount
YANBU - you earned it, you should get paid it so chase them up

I run my own business and having someone in on a trial shift is hard work.... it takes a lot of manpower to explain/guide someone through a shift and for them to turn round and say no to a job offer is a bit galling. Now we just take someone on on a trial basis and it becomes very clear early on if they're not going to make the grade.

I think they may well have designated you as a time waster.......... hence not paying you.

You can't not pay people for work they do because you decide you don't fancy it.

Op it depends if you're ever likely to want to work for them. If you are, suck up the £30 loss. If you're not, pursue it. I'm wondering why you need it if DH earns well though. Perhaps it would be good to keep the restaurant on side if your DH is not allowing you access to money.

Of course you chase, you worked a day under the agreement it would be paid.

You politely email the manager,

Hi Manager,

I did a trial shift for you on X date and I sent you my bank details on Y date. I haven’t had the payment we agreed to could you please give me an update?

Thank you,
IAmaLittlePea

@RubyTuesday70

I run my own business and having someone in on a trial shift is hard work.... it takes a lot of manpower to explain/guide someone through a shift and for them to turn round and say no to a job offer is a bit galling. Now we just take someone on on a trial basis and it becomes very clear early on if they're not going to make the grade.

I think they may well have designated you as a time waster.......... hence not paying you.

They can't just decide not to pay her when they told her the trial was a paid trial!

I think they may well have designated you as a time waster.......... hence not paying you

How they designated PP is irrelevant; they told her she'd be paid, so they must pay her!

*OP

Trial shifts are usually unpaid and you must have knew the job was unsuitable when you went so they probably didn't pay you for wasting there time to be honest

If it was stated it was a paid trial, you should be paid for it.

Doesn't really matter how much, you earned it, they should pay it.
It might not be worth it though if you do want to work there in the future. Why do you need the money if your husband earns good money though?

@RubyTuesday70 You can't just decide to not pay someone because you take a disliking to them. What would you say if a client decided not to pay you?

Trial shifts are usually unpaid

If someone works a shift then they are entitled to (at least) minimum wage for the hours worked.

@RubyTuesday70

I run my own business and having someone in on a trial shift is hard work.... it takes a lot of manpower to explain/guide someone through a shift and for them to turn round and say no to a job offer is a bit galling. Now we just take someone on on a trial basis and it becomes very clear early on if they're not going to make the grade.

I think they may well have designated you as a time waster.......... hence not paying you.

But what if you don't want them after their trial shift? Is that any less galling for the worker? If someone works then they should get paid, regardless of the outcome of the trial. It's a trial on both sides, not just the employer.

Trial shifts seem like such a con, I've known a few people do them with the understanding that it's paid only to not get paid a penny.

I know when I was much younger I did a trial shift that they told me would be paid, at the end of it (6 hours!) they told me they weren't sure yet (because they'd left me in my own all day and hadn't seen me working) so needed me to do a second trial shift and would pay me after it. 🤔

A family member done a 8 hour trial shift with a big chain and never got paid (or heard back), contacted them, told money would go in next pay day but never received it.

Free labour it seems from responses

@RubyTuesday70

I run my own business and having someone in on a trial shift is hard work.... it takes a lot of manpower to explain/guide someone through a shift and for them to turn round and say no to a job offer is a bit galling. Now we just take someone on on a trial basis and it becomes very clear early on if they're not going to make the grade.

I think they may well have designated you as a time waster.......... hence not paying you.

Fucking hell 🙄 hope I never end up working for you.

OP not taking the job is irrelevant, it's a trial shift for BOTH employer and OP. She worked the hours so should be paid

If it was agreed the trial was paid then you should remind them to pay you. Whether or not you accepted the job is irrelevant. I think those who are calling you a time waster are forgetting that a trial goes both ways, and OP decided after the trial that the job wasn't for her.

Find email agreeing to pay you, email saying not been paid. Provide bank details again. I’d chase. If they agreed to pay and you did work you should get it.

@RubyTuesday70 bit presumptuous of you. The trial went brilliantly, the manager and DM both said how nice it was to have someone who had experience and didn't need handholding at all.

I also had a long chat with the manager when I regretfully had to not take the job, I even said I was sorry to have wasted their time. It was very amicable.

I think that is my worry @ThePlantsitter, I don't want to burn bridges, but equally if they don't pay me an agreed shift then would I want to work there again anyway?

I think I might send one gentle reminder, along the lines of 'just wanted to check you'd received the back details for payment of the trial as agreed' and hopefully they sort it.

Re PP questions about DH earning etc... He doesn't withhold money from me at all, but I am used to earning a decent wage, I lost my job during covid, then had baby, so my financial situation and independence has been impacted and I hate having to ask him for money if I want to go for a coffee (for instance) when I've never had to before. I think this is more a matter of principle (as in - I worked it so should be paid it) really more than my needing it.

Really appreciate the responses and perspectives.

@RubyTuesday70

I run my own business and having someone in on a trial shift is hard work.... it takes a lot of manpower to explain/guide someone through a shift and for them to turn round and say no to a job offer is a bit galling. Now we just take someone on on a trial basis and it becomes very clear early on if they're not going to make the grade.

I think they may well have designated you as a time waster.......... hence not paying you.

Really worrying that you run your own business if you think you can just not pay people

@ImALittlePea

Re PP questions about DH earning etc... He doesn't withhold money from me at all, but I am used to earning a decent wage, I lost my job during covid, then had baby, so my financial situation and independence has been impacted and I hate having to ask him for money if I want to go for a coffee (for instance) when I've never had to before. I think this is more a matter of principle (as in - I worked it so should be paid it) really more than my needing it.

Really appreciate the responses and perspectives.

When I was a SAHM I had access to the joint account where DH's wage went, so if i wanted a coffee I would just buy it from there.

I'm not saying your DH is stopping you doing this because I don't know - but you are entitled to access family money. Once you have kids you become a financial unit. It is a much nicer feeling than asking to be doled out pocket money like a child.

I know @ThePlantsitter I do want to restructure the finances but it's hard as we've had 15 years of it working well for us this way. I do need it to change but I totally understand that it's a significant adjustment for him.