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AIBU?

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Original poster

To withdraw my job applications when employers want me to do an unpaid trial shift?

112 replies

Eyelinerofthetigers · 07/08/2025 11:26

Because I think it’s a fucking piss take?

I thought there was a law being introduced saying employers have to pay applicants for trial shifts but it seems not as so many employers seem to think it’s acceptable to want applicants to do this.

A friend has recently done an unpaid trial WEEK for a sales job. At the end of the trial the manager of the company said he’d probably got the job but that he just needed to confirm things with the company owner and then he’d be in touch. They’ve since totally ghosted my friend and it’s been 3 weeks!

OP posts:
ExpressCheckout · 07/08/2025 12:09

Thanks to Angela Raynor, this kind of thing is going to get more common. No employer in their right mind is going to give someone full employment rights including sick pay from day one without making absolutely sure they're suitable for the role. But we will need to see what the final law looks like in practice.

Raynor, whose afaik never employed anyone in her life, and never had a proper private sector job, simply hasn't got a clue about what it's like to run a business, particularly a smaller one. Combined with Reeve's punishment of employers with the NI raise last year, this government really do hate business.

Hopefully this legislation will prove easy to undo in four years time.

PinkCampervan · 07/08/2025 12:10

ohsososo · 07/08/2025 11:57

But if it’s a single class then that could be seen as part of the interview. Lots of jobs require you to create a PowerPoint mock presentation or attend three to four interviews including group activities and mock situation settings.

its when people are asked to work for a day or week even for no pay that it’s a problem.

Show quote history

I consider that to be taking the piss too. There's a probation period during which they can get rid of you at the drop of a hat. No job needs hours of interviews. Should be one hour max. Then job offer or not. Nobody gets 4hrs of my time for free.

MooDengOfThailand · 07/08/2025 12:11

Nope.

Do not work for free.

Waterbortle · 07/08/2025 12:11

They're not using trial lessons as free labour. It would be easier to teach the class themselves than to observe it 🤣

All professionals are expected to present as part of the recruitment process.

MyAmpleSheep · 07/08/2025 12:13

myplace · 07/08/2025 12:03

An inclusion talk I was at recently suggested that it can replace interviews for people who don’t have the interpersonal skill to do well in interviews.
Basically you don’t recruit a violinist by asking them to tell you about playing the violin.

It makes sense in that context.

But clearly needs boundaries.

Basically you don’t recruit a violinist by asking them to tell you about playing the violin.

No. You ask them to prepare a piece for audition,, then you listen to them play it. Once you introduce a paying audience and keep the money, it’s not an audition any more.

sesquipedalian · 07/08/2025 12:15

@ PrincessAnne5Eva
“every teacher is expected to plan and teach an unpaid "trial lesson" as standard or you can't get a job as a teacher in this country”

I’m surprised - a head-teacher friend used to go and see potential employees in their own school, teaching their own class, because she didn’t think it was fair to give them a “random” class to teach, and she wanted to give them an opportunity to show what they could do, and also so she could see what sort of rapport they had with their class.

endofthelinefinally · 07/08/2025 12:17

The other thing that infuriates me is that companies set the applicant a whole project that takes days to prepare, get them to write it up and present it, then they steal and use the ideas but don't offer a job. (IT jobs).

Bridget57 · 07/08/2025 12:20

I was asked to do a whole week unpaid like this, a few years ago. I was told it was to see if I liked them and if they liked me and at the end of the week we'd discuss where we went from there. At the same time I was offered another job, starting on full pay immediately, you can guess which job I took!

TabbyCatInAPoolofSunshine · 07/08/2025 12:25

PrincessAnne5Eva · 07/08/2025 11:46

Meanwhile, every teacher is expected to plan and teach an unpaid "trial lesson" as standard or you can't get a job as a teacher in this country. Planning it in your own time around your own workload, providing resources yourself as well as the time wasted waiting around while all the other candidates do their unpaid trial lesson. Given any random class with no knowledge of their abilities, individual learning needs or behaviour. Expected to learn the behaviour policy of the school in advance and follow it. They managed fine without this nonsense during Covid but have gone straight back to it again. And they wonder why they can't get teachers.

I'd love to see the NHS try this. Could you imagine? We're hiring a surgeon, just show us you can actually do a surgery before we make you a job offer, and stand around outside theatre doing nothing while all the other candidates do the same surgery on different patients. Some of the patients will be rowdy or obnoxious and we'll just blame it on you and if we don't really want you to work here we'll purposely give you someone who you can't operate on then demand to know why you didn't perform the surgery.

I'd abolish these sort of work trials completely. If we don't need to see a surgeon do their job before hiring them (which we don't), or to check if a pilot can land a plane to our satisfaction (also doesn't happen), no one needs to see if someone can scan a barcode with a barcode scanner then ask a customer to pay for the item.

Edited

Yes, I was thinking this. Although I don't actually mind doing one lesson as part of a morning of interview, tour, lesson, second interview with someone else - you don't waste more time than just going for two interviews really. Obviously as lkng as the job offer follows promptly, which tbh it always did.

I'm not teaching anymore but do a related job and the "trial" isn't working but shadowing, and I wouldn't take a job that didn't do it tbh because it's essential to be a good fit. I'd hate to commit to starting a new role and know after a day it wasn't right for me and have to resign and have a period of unemployment - I always apply for a job from a job and have never been unemployed in between, by choice.

For waitressing, kitchen help, and other jobs where you can actually properly work from day one obviously it should absolutely be paid. Where it's more giving a demo by teaching an observed 45 minutes as part of a full day of interviews, or it's shadowing to see how you react to the environment and what questions you ask etc. it can be a very good thing for both sides.

poetryandwine · 07/08/2025 12:27

PrincessAnne5Eva · 07/08/2025 11:46

Meanwhile, every teacher is expected to plan and teach an unpaid "trial lesson" as standard or you can't get a job as a teacher in this country. Planning it in your own time around your own workload, providing resources yourself as well as the time wasted waiting around while all the other candidates do their unpaid trial lesson. Given any random class with no knowledge of their abilities, individual learning needs or behaviour. Expected to learn the behaviour policy of the school in advance and follow it. They managed fine without this nonsense during Covid but have gone straight back to it again. And they wonder why they can't get teachers.

I'd love to see the NHS try this. Could you imagine? We're hiring a surgeon, just show us you can actually do a surgery before we make you a job offer, and stand around outside theatre doing nothing while all the other candidates do the same surgery on different patients. Some of the patients will be rowdy or obnoxious and we'll just blame it on you and if we don't really want you to work here we'll purposely give you someone who you can't operate on then demand to know why you didn't perform the surgery.

I'd abolish these sort of work trials completely. If we don't need to see a surgeon do their job before hiring them (which we don't), or to check if a pilot can land a plane to our satisfaction (also doesn't happen), no one needs to see if someone can scan a barcode with a barcode scanner then ask a customer to pay for the item.

Edited

Brava

Sittingatthebottomofthegarden · 07/08/2025 12:28

Pricelessadvice · 07/08/2025 11:47

Happened to me in my early twenties, twice. Got given a trial morning and told I’d be paid and hear back and never was, despite chasing.

I had this once and took them to court over an unpaid day - they paid up the day before court - small claims - you have nothing to lose if you are in the right. They pay the costs.

Maddy70 · 07/08/2025 12:28

I agree. I have never done a "free" trial shift. Pay me or fuck off

FlipFlopShopInHawaii · 07/08/2025 12:29

This happened to my son with a big national chicken chain! Did an unpaid trial shift and never heard back, but he did come home wearing the t-shirt that he forgot to take off - so I guess he got paid a shitty black t-shirt 🤣
So it's not just small local places that do it, at least one big multinational chain too 🐓 I won't go there ever since.

And I agree with you OP. It's a disgrace!

MoonKiss · 07/08/2025 12:33

One of our local takeaways did this, they got teenagers in for two trial weekend shifts with no pay then never got back to them. Eventually they were rumbled - they’d had several weekends of free staffing and got really arsey when confronted by a bunch of parents. The locals boycotted it and soon after it closed down. Served them right!

MyAmpleSheep · 07/08/2025 12:34

PrincessAnne5Eva · 07/08/2025 11:46

Meanwhile, every teacher is expected to plan and teach an unpaid "trial lesson" as standard or you can't get a job as a teacher in this country. Planning it in your own time around your own workload, providing resources yourself as well as the time wasted waiting around while all the other candidates do their unpaid trial lesson. Given any random class with no knowledge of their abilities, individual learning needs or behaviour. Expected to learn the behaviour policy of the school in advance and follow it. They managed fine without this nonsense during Covid but have gone straight back to it again. And they wonder why they can't get teachers.

I'd love to see the NHS try this. Could you imagine? We're hiring a surgeon, just show us you can actually do a surgery before we make you a job offer, and stand around outside theatre doing nothing while all the other candidates do the same surgery on different patients. Some of the patients will be rowdy or obnoxious and we'll just blame it on you and if we don't really want you to work here we'll purposely give you someone who you can't operate on then demand to know why you didn't perform the surgery.

I'd abolish these sort of work trials completely. If we don't need to see a surgeon do their job before hiring them (which we don't), or to check if a pilot can land a plane to our satisfaction (also doesn't happen), no one needs to see if someone can scan a barcode with a barcode scanner then ask a customer to pay for the item.

Edited

or to check if a pilot can land a plane to our satisfaction (also doesn't happen)

On a point of fact, pilots have a difficult simulator session to pass as part of the recruitment process, so actually we do check they can land a plane to the putative employers satisfaction.

viques · 07/08/2025 12:34

I would take an unpaid shift in a shop like Gap, but only if they guarantee at the end of it that I would be able to fold t shirts, jumpers and jeans. 🙂

But in principle I agree with others it is abusive and exploitative to make people work for nothing, and as others have said it isn’t across the board, Want to be my cleaner? OK you have six hours to clean my house. Starting NOW!

PennyAnnLane · 07/08/2025 12:35

Sh291 · 07/08/2025 12:06

I wouldn't do it out of principle. It's wrong. Anything after interview should be paid.

How long a "shift" are we talking here? I remember during an interview for Next they had me on the changing room for about 15 minutes doing like a mock role play (cringe), which is fine as it was part of the interview.

It's different for a teacher as the lesson observation is part of the interview and it's usually 30-45 mins max of teaching not a few hours like a "shift".

Edited

I think this is fine, 30 mins - 1hr but an entire shift is a piss take. Especially
for something like working in a shop or pub where the work is simply to be polite and helpful rather than any specific skill like playing the violin.

BerfyTigot · 07/08/2025 12:36

A few years ago my DS applied for a paid weekend job as a groom for a well known eventer. He worked 3 weekends, both days for 6 hrs a day, hard physical work, and he's a very dedicated person.

He was only just turned 16 and I know that she turned up on time as I dropped him off.
When after 3 weeks DS tentatively asked about payment, he was told that he was too young to be in sole charge of the yard (despite having already been left alone for several hours) and so should look on it as experience. Unpaid of course.

I'm so annoyed that this woman got away with treating him so badly that I'm going to out her. It was Hannah Biggs from Dorset.

I'm now a menopausal old crone so am up for a fight if she wants it.

Tinytotdriver · 07/08/2025 12:38

There’s a company near me that has been doing their own version of this. I won’t go into the exact role but their interview process requires pitching ideas for an area of their business. They’ve been “interviewing” (stealing people’s ideas for free) for this role for years and still haven’t filled the role.

FlipFlopShopInHawaii · 07/08/2025 12:38

How long a "shift" are we talking here?
For my son who did his trial in the chicken place it was a 4 hour shift covering lunchtime/ late afternoon in a busy shopping centre.

Newstove · 07/08/2025 12:41

I did various part-time waitressing jobs when was a student and then backpacking, 2o years ago. Only did an unpaid trial once, was a bit desperate so did the trial, worse place I ever worked, awful management, too many staff so not enough shifts, wouldn't even let us have a bowl of soup after our 3 hour lunchtime shift.

Their attitude to staff was shit, I should have know from the fact they'd getba free shift out of us. I lasted 3 weeks, left for something better.

I'm shocked this stunt is still being pulled by employers, definately needs to barred, along with unpaid internships.

RedRiverShore5 · 07/08/2025 12:43

I wouldn't expect an employer that does this to be someone that is good to work for in other ways either.

summerskyblue · 07/08/2025 12:45

Nope. I would never agree to that.

You completely right to tell the CFs to get lost and keep their job.

Foundress · 07/08/2025 12:51

PrincessAnne5Eva · 07/08/2025 11:46

Meanwhile, every teacher is expected to plan and teach an unpaid "trial lesson" as standard or you can't get a job as a teacher in this country. Planning it in your own time around your own workload, providing resources yourself as well as the time wasted waiting around while all the other candidates do their unpaid trial lesson. Given any random class with no knowledge of their abilities, individual learning needs or behaviour. Expected to learn the behaviour policy of the school in advance and follow it. They managed fine without this nonsense during Covid but have gone straight back to it again. And they wonder why they can't get teachers.

I'd love to see the NHS try this. Could you imagine? We're hiring a surgeon, just show us you can actually do a surgery before we make you a job offer, and stand around outside theatre doing nothing while all the other candidates do the same surgery on different patients. Some of the patients will be rowdy or obnoxious and we'll just blame it on you and if we don't really want you to work here we'll purposely give you someone who you can't operate on then demand to know why you didn't perform the surgery.

I'd abolish these sort of work trials completely. If we don't need to see a surgeon do their job before hiring them (which we don't), or to check if a pilot can land a plane to our satisfaction (also doesn't happen), no one needs to see if someone can scan a barcode with a barcode scanner then ask a customer to pay for the item.

Edited

Oh this is giving me flashbacks. I would add that at the end of the interviews the post is then quite often offered to an internal candidate. To the PP’s saying it’s just like giving a Power Point presentation it’s really not.@PrincessAnne5Eva detailed why in her post. Just to add I don’t agree with interviewees for other jobs having to do presentations either.