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AIBU?

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Original poster

Unpaid trial shift - would you do this?

129 replies

trialshift2022 · 02/04/2022 11:58

I applied for a second job at a restaurant that will be opening this month, they rang me a few days later and asked me to come in for a trial shift at one of their other locations, it’s unpaid and last a few hours, and it will take me over an hour to get there with public transport? I live in London.

I said yes at first, but now thinking about it I don’t know if I want to go. I will basically be working for a few hours for them, unpaid whilst making them money and then all that money I’ll spending on transport, and then there’s the possibility of me not getting the job at all.

What do you think? It’s on Monday.

OP posts:
mycatisannoying · 02/04/2022 13:03

Unpaid, of course. Not even her transport.

FarFarFarAndAway · 02/04/2022 13:05

I think it's reasonable, as you haven't been interviewed, so travelling to the location of interview and doing 30 min on trial seems to be equivalent to that.

You are not obliged though, of course! Up to you if you really want the job at the original location.

LittleMissMoggy · 02/04/2022 13:05

It might be standard but it's horrendous. To those justifying this practice of unpaid work... I work in a professional office based job, and new hires can take a few months to be in any way useful and not a hindrance on my time. It's normal for new staff to initially be a burden. It's no excuse to not pay people.

BluebellsGreenbells · 02/04/2022 13:06

There’s a difference between trial shifts

1 - if you watch someone and you don’t actually do any work - this can be unpaid
2 - if you do the work - load machines take money clean serve etc - then legally you should be paid the going rate plus 8.33% holiday entitlement.

It’s part of employees rights

FarFarFarAndAway · 02/04/2022 13:06

Also, a 30 min shift at a different location isn't likely to be of benefit to the employee much, they can't staff a restaurant on 10 lots of 30 min people or whatever, so isn't similar to the examples on here where people are working full shifts of several hours, multiple times, and not being paid. That restaurant doesn't want you there, they aren't trying to keep you working for free there, they are simply hiring for the other location. Not the same.

SheldonesqueTheBstard · 02/04/2022 13:07

For 30 minutes? I’d go. And consider the travel expenses a necessary evil if it got me a job I wanted (in the closer location).

A trial shift unpaid is another matter entirely.

BattledoreAndShuttlecock · 02/04/2022 13:07

They're not doing anything wrong in not paying you if it's only a half hour, it's just unfortunate that the venue happens to be inconvenient for you.

You need to weigh up how much you want the job - if it's on Monday then it's a bit late to ask for travel expenses (London public transport shouldn't be extortionate). If the job's going to be decent pay and convenient then I'd go for it.

Blanketpolicy · 02/04/2022 13:09

I have been to a few interviews that were several hours or even a day long doing interviews, aptitude tests and group exercises. As long as they are supervising you a short shift to assess your suitability I don't see the problem, if they are abusing it for free labour that is wrong.

Neverreturntoathread · 02/04/2022 13:14

A 30 min trial shift is of no benefit to them so I don’t think they’re exploiting you. It’s just a practical interview, seems reasonable to me.

If the job is too far away to bother with, then withdraw your application.

YanTanTetheraPetheraPimp · 02/04/2022 13:14

Years ago dd did a 6 hour shift at a local Pizza Express and didn’t get paid a penny (she already had waitressing experience). It transpired that this branch covered a number of shifts a week by doing this!
At the end of the shift they told her they didn’t need more staff (it turned out she was covering someone off sick)

balalake · 02/04/2022 13:14

I think 30 minutes is an extended interview, not a trial shift, and if you really think it will be only 30 minutes, acceptable.

Dimondsareforever · 02/04/2022 13:16

It’s a 30 min practical job interview. You wouldn’t normally be expected to get paid for a job interview!

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 02/04/2022 13:18

@LittleMissMoggy

It might be standard but it's horrendous. To those justifying this practice of unpaid work... I work in a professional office based job, and new hires can take a few months to be in any way useful and not a hindrance on my time. It's normal for new staff to initially be a burden. It's no excuse to not pay people.
But thirty minutes is just a job interview, it's not like's proper labour.
Original poster
trialshift2022 · 02/04/2022 13:18

The thing is I work Monday to Friday at my current job, and I'd have to go straight from my job to the trial shift which is on the other side of London. It's just too long, too much money being spent without a guarantee of a job.

To those saying" well it's just like a 30 min interview?" Yeah but I wouldn't apply for a job on the other side of London, so I'd never had a interview that far. I always have distance in mind whenever I apply for jobs tbh.

I've emailed them explaining my reasons and id have to pass on this one.

OP posts:
NowEvenBetter · 02/04/2022 13:23

Half an hour is not a shift, but no, I absolutely would not do voluntary work for hospitality. It’s an employees market in hospitality, if employers are failing to provide adequate levels of pay, benefits and making themselves attractive to their labourers, they don’t deserve staff. It’s fantastic to see.
Know your worth.

Grapewrath · 02/04/2022 13:24

I was once asked to do a ‘trial’ at a well known pizza chain. The 12 year old manager laughed as he told me he would give me the Sunday afternoon as ‘there’s a lot of cleaning to be done’
I told him there and then that I don’t work for free. I think it’s fairly common tbh but it’s up to you whether you are willing to do it

LadyOfTheCanyon · 02/04/2022 13:27

Depends if you want the job or not. It's absolutely standard in my industry ( floristry) to have people in for an hour or so, so we can watch them make items up to judge their aptitude and asses their attitude with customers etc. Never has there been any expectation of us paying people to come for interview! That attitude seems bizarre.

IsthisPND2022 · 02/04/2022 13:33

Even though it’s “standard” in most places, doesn’t mean it’s right.

I worked in hospitality for years (when I was young), I did 3 or 4 unpaid trial shifts while I was looking for a permanent job and they all said to me I had the job after the shift and it never materialised. I realised that they were using “trials” as a way to cover staff shortages without needing to pay people. But because it was standard and I was desperate, it took me a while to come to this conclusion.

Don’t do it.

WaterBottle123 · 02/04/2022 13:35

OP you dope Grin30 mins isn't a trial shift, it's an interview with a work sample component, completely reasonable and the most robust way of assessing your skills.

I'd adjust my attitude a bit if I were you

WaterBottle123 · 02/04/2022 13:37

@trialshift2022

The thing is I work Monday to Friday at my current job, and I'd have to go straight from my job to the trial shift which is on the other side of London. It's just too long, too much money being spent without a guarantee of a job.

To those saying" well it's just like a 30 min interview?" Yeah but I wouldn't apply for a job on the other side of London, so I'd never had a interview that far. I always have distance in mind whenever I apply for jobs tbh.

I've emailed them explaining my reasons and id have to pass on this one.

It's also VERY NORMAL to interview at locations other than where you'll be working,

The grown up job market is going to be a shock to you.

Comefromaway · 02/04/2022 13:40

I used to recruit people but in a different sector. The usual shift length was 3 hours.

Sometimes I used to ask people to come for an hour interview. 20-30 minutes was a trial at the job, followed by 30 mins interview. That was always unpaid.

Occasionally I would ask someone to do the full 3 hours and that would be paid.

Your travel times isn’t the employers consideration. I’ve travelled much further for interviews in the past.

Ownedbymycats · 02/04/2022 13:43

My son did a 4hr shift in a street food type restaurant.They laughed at his regional accent, made him try and think up recipes from scratch and then declined him. He was a student applying for a job as a kitchen assistant.He failed because he said he would put sugar in a crumble, not stevia. After the 4hrs they told him he wasn't a good fit, sugar was evil etc.
Limit it to half an hour and don't allow them to use you.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 02/04/2022 13:43

@trialshift2022

The thing is I work Monday to Friday at my current job, and I'd have to go straight from my job to the trial shift which is on the other side of London. It's just too long, too much money being spent without a guarantee of a job.

To those saying" well it's just like a 30 min interview?" Yeah but I wouldn't apply for a job on the other side of London, so I'd never had a interview that far. I always have distance in mind whenever I apply for jobs tbh.

I've emailed them explaining my reasons and id have to pass on this one.

It's also very common for interviews not to take place in your future place of work.
ClemDanFango · 02/04/2022 13:45

Lots of restaurants and cafes use trial shifts to get free labour out of people whilst never offering anyone the job.

AdoptedBumpkin · 02/04/2022 13:48

My cousin once did a trial shift for a couple of hours unpaid. Needless to say they never gave him a job or even called him. Some people just take advantage.