16 year old training days payment??

[Motomum23]

It's been many years since I've been in the world of employment (self employed) so have no idea the norm.
My 16 year old has been offered 2 training days at a Saturday job he applied for. The consecutive Saturdays are 9-6 so long full days - should he be expecting payment for those days? He will be officially offered/not offered the job on the completion of the 2 days.

Thanks!

I'm starting a new job soon and had to do 3 shadowing sessions totalling 9 hours before being accepted for the job plus an induction of 4 hours, all unpaid. They can't really pay him if he's not employed by then yet

I wouldn't count on it. I know loads of youngsters that have to do a "trial" at a pub to see if they've got the job. Don't get paid for it! A pub near me "trials" at least one a week.

So they're getting loads of free labour. Makes my blood boil.

However my daughter did training at McDs and she got paid for it.

So who knows OP?

This is something that happens increasingly. It's free labour and its exploitive.

Why would it take two days to see if a sixteen year old is capable of doing a Saturday job? My nineteen year old had training sessions for her summer job but she was paid and she was an extra member of staff during those sessions.

I'd tell him to ask if he's going to be paid.

An ethical company would pay. They can probably get away with not paying.

From the employer's pov, the majority of 16yos are going to turn out to be useless and it will cost them more in terms of the time and effort of competent employees to supervise them than any value they bring in for their first few shifts. So from that perspective weeding out the field with this policy helps narrow down the candidates.

If your DS works hard and learns well then across the next 2 years of Saturday work, the first 2 being unpaid won't seem that significant - paid for 102 days of work having worked 104 is only a blip. It's only a waste if he give up after a month so only gets 2 days pay for 4 days of work.

Legally yes an employee can insist on being paid at least minimum wage for any mandatory training (optional training can be unpaid). But a business that takes on 16yos for a Saturday job is going to choose a different 16yo if one of them is going to insist on this and there are others who don't.

I agree, an ethical company should pay. I used to employ 16 year olds. The most we would ask would be to shadow for an hour on the day of the interview to see how they interact.

Thanks all. I know he won't ask or insist on payment - it's marshaling a go kart track so training is important and the pay is fair better than min wage for that age so I can't imagine it will bother my ds is its unpaid - makes my mama bear come out a bit to think he's being potentially taken advantage of but I suppose I have to let him grow up and sort it out by himself! 🫣

Trail shifts unpaid and training are common
it’s nothings to do with him being 16

Awful that pp's experiences show that many aren't paid for mandatory training or trials. I would say an ethical company would pay, so just have him double check that he is being paid - its a good exercise in self assertion. If they say they don't pay, they aren't an ethical company and he is better not being there.