Work Trial Advice

[Charliesunnysky10]

My 16 y/o daughter has been invited to a work trial at our local Italian and a few of her friends have said that they know of others who've had a work trial there where they've not been hired, and it's just to get free labour.

I've responded to her concerns that if someone is present, assessing her work, not leaving her unsupervised, she can feel reassured it's the real deal and that it's good experience as long as she gets feedback and an offer/decline at the end of one session.

It would be a pity if she goes into it half-hearted as there are so few opportunities around here, but I obviously want to ensure she isn't explioted.

Is there any other advice I should pass on, do you think?

I would advise her not to do it, because it sounds like free labour! A company that genuinely wants to assess somebody through a trial would be willing to pay for that trail.

It’s a massive red flag. Even those that say they will pay ime, often don’t.
Teach her that she is worth more than being free labour for someone else, and to say no.
Teaching points are learning ti spot a scam, learning her self worth, learning to say no, learning that self respect stops you being walked over in life.
(sorry for rant, but it really annoys me that the younger generations get used in this way by potential ‘employers’.)

Trial shifts is the norm in a lot of hospitality places round me and my DC have done them.
They are reputable local businesses and have ALWAYS been paid.
They've also been hired at the end of the shift as hospitality is really short staffed.

What makes her think they won't get paid? Trial shifts in my area are always paid in cash.

If she wants to do it she should only offer to do a couple of hours s asks insist on being paid before she leaves. That's plenty time for the restaurant to decide if they want her or not.

Thanks for your replies. She was desperate to go to the trial so I didn't stand in her way, but I do share your concerns

@ErmentrudeTheCow She left without being paid, but she didn't ask because everyone was busy. The main manager who showed her round on Saturday wasn't there, but the duty manager asked if she can return so main manager can see her work. I felt he himself had seen enough over the 2 hours to be able to report to main manager.

Is it reasonable for her to message him to say how much she enjoyed being part of the team last night and looks forward to coming back on Friday and would he be able to send payment for last night to her bank (giving him the details).

She would prefer to ask after Friday's shift as she's concerned they will think her cheeky and not sign her up. She wants to tackle this once she's proved herself and got an employment contract. She doesn't want to lose this opportunity as there is no shortage of students & school/college leavers in the market round here for summer work and says she needs this hospitality experience.

She's still so young and I don't want see her be taken for a ride, but nor do I want to give her the wrong advice. It's easy for us to reject it out of hand or demand payment, but it's her who will be spending the summer bored, broke and convinced she's messed her chances up.

ds(19) did a trial shift (3-4 hours) for his current PT job. He wasn't paid and the manager was not around as busy. He came and thanked him at the end of the trial and said he would be in touch after he asked the rest of the staff how he got on and he got offered the job shortly after.

Personally I don't see the problem with a short trial shift. If they asked for a couple of full 8hr shift that would be very different. Maybe those not offered jobs after their trial shifts were either not suitable for the job or compatible with the rest of the team.

When ds did his trial he was very much learning the ropes, watching, he couldn't take payments as he didn't have a card for the till so it is not as if he was much use/free labour during the trial.

Nope went to work for a dodgy pay weekly carpet company - Started Tuesday 31st May 2022 but it took until 6th June to be entered into pay roll and be paid from such. Taken on so many days trial which didn’t exist and of course you can firmly bet your dollar the employer paid only from 6th June.

I got a contract end of June 2022 which not happy with. I later told them where they can stick job of course regular Mumsnet’ers are happy to go to work days not paid days on end.

The main manager who showed her round on Saturday wasn't there, but the duty manager asked if she can return so main manager can see her work. I felt he himself had seen enough over the 2 hours to be able to report to main manager.

I'd be very suspicious of this. Considering a trial shift is the hospitality equivalent of an interview that's like being invited to a second round of interviews........... for a minimum wage job!

When my DC did their trial shifts they were arranged so they were working alongside the supervisor who then made the decision about hiring. One was 4 hours on a busy Saturday evening in a restaurant, the other was 2 hours in a pub on a week night.

They should not have had you DD in when the person who will make the decision wasn't present.I'd be advising her not to sign up for 2nd trial or only going for an hour. Honestly, they've seen plenty to make up their mind.
Once she decides about 2nd trial she can then ask for payment for her hours worked.

Are you in a tourist area OP? Hospitality near me is so short staffed they bite the hand off anyone half decent who applies for summer work. But I'm in Scotland and we have a lot of tourists.

No, we're a suburb in NW Manchester so not touristy, and high population.

She's be paid min wage for a trial shift with is £5.28ph. As well as risking getting hired, she argues she'll be losing the opportunity to gain valuable work experience for future jobs, all for the sake of a tenner.

She isn't looking at the bigger picture but I'm not sure I would at 16.

@Blanketpolicy These are really useful examples. I'm glad it worked out for them.

The examples I see are either very fair and reasonable or blatantly exploitative (ie Jess works an unpaid 50 hr unsupervised trial shift running a coffee shop on her own vs Jack who does an hour alongside the manager showing he knows the boot of the car from the bonnet for safety reasons). My daughters situation inevitably falls somewhere in between.

Let her make her own decisions on this

It will either work out or not but it should be her choice.

If it doesn't work out then it's not because her mum made her do something.

It will be a learning experience whatever happens.

@Fandabedodgy Thank you. I'm good with that.