Abusing the unemployed - Illegal unpaid work trails by established hotels.

So, i applied for a job in a hotel serving food and beverages. No wait, let me make this personal. I applied for the Crowne Plaza hotel in Leeds, UK, serving food and beverages (A minimum wage job)



I get a call last Sunday inviting me in for an "interview"
For this interview, i have to go out and BUY a black shirt for myself, then turn up at 8am on a saturday morning and work FOUR HOURS unpaid with the job not being guaranteed at the end. I questioned it at the time but thought "Hey, times are bad, i'll go with it"

So ive been thinking about it, talked to other people about it. Four hours unpaid work and i'll be competing with other people also working there for free over the bank holiday weekend?
Imagine this, in a busy hotel they have me and 2 other people working for free from 8am while 12, then another 3 people working from 12-4 and then another 3 people working 5-9 - over saturday and sunday.

That would make 18 people working a total of 72 hours - None of them getting paid.
72 hours on the minimum wage would be (For someone over the age of 18) £445.68
Thats how much they would have saved from "work trials" over a single weekend.

Now, also imagine that all of these people are unemployed - They would have to pay for bus fairs to get to and from this interview, Then there are people like myself who dont own a black shirt so i'd have to go out and buy one.

UNPAID WORK TRIALS ARE ILLEGALSource

How do they get away with it?
Well, they dont send you a letter confirming your interview.
They dont tell you that you have to do unpaid work in the application.
And its very unlikely anyone will be there to witness the fact that you are doing unpaid work.

At the end of the day, they're abusing the fact that so many people are out of work and will literally take anything. I'll be calling them tomorrow to confront their sly tactics. I'll be kicking ass and taking names! Its disgusting how the unemployed are being treated.

reply to post by SearchLightsInc


I am Not familiar with your countries laws.

Do you have a Labor Board or Labor Laws?

If so it sounds like it could be the makings a Class Action Suite.

That is one way to scrape up Free Labor .. . aka. . . Slavery.

Originally posted by ShadellacZumbrum
reply to post by SearchLightsInc

 

I am Not familiar with your countries laws.

Do you have a Labor Board or Labor Laws?

If so it sounds like it could be the makings a Class Action Suite.

That is one way to scrape up Free Labor .. . aka. . . Slavery.

I'll be writing a letter to the companies head office and looking for an authority to be reporting them to.

If you are claiming jobseekers don't do it.
A friend of mine had a week's work trial at a building company.
He didn't tell the jobcentre,somehow they found out and stopped his jobseekers and housing benefit.
He had to live on thirty quid hardship allowance with the rent arrears racking up for a month or two until he found another job.

Don't forget to inform the Job Centre or else you are in breach of their rules. Perhaps if you explain it they may take it up. There is also the Citizens Advice Bureau but it is sometimes difficult to get an appointment.

ETA with the amount of work you did and being able to claim it as part of actively seeking employment I don't think there'll be any financial penalties.

Originally posted by glen200376
If you are claiming jobseekers don't do it.
A friend of mine had a week's work trial at a building company.
He didn't tell the jobcentre,somehow they found out and stopped his jobseekers and housing benefit.
He had to live on thirty quid hardship allowance with the rent arrears racking up for a month or two until he found another job.

Aye, you can do so many hours of voluntary work on the dole, which i do, but not for this type of wage labour work. Im disgusted.

reply to post by SearchLightsInc


If you can, keep us updated as to how you make out - Good luck! Eff 'em.

reply to post by SearchLightsInc


They don't sound like the type of employer anyone in their right mind would want to work for.They want slaves and I bet the permanent employees are treated the same.
If you are willing to take minimum wage there must be be better places even a supermarket or something.

Originally posted by glen200376
reply to post by SearchLightsInc

 

They don't sound like the type of employer anyone in their right mind would want to work for.They want slaves and I bet the permanent employees are treated the same.
If you are willing to take minimum wage there must be be better places even a supermarket or something.

Exactly my thoughts. Calling them tomorrow to confront them, asking for a head office address (even though ive already got one from online) I bet they're not the only ones getting away with this.

reply to post by SearchLightsInc


Sounds terrible, I recently got a new job, one which I didn't have to work for (literally), but there are some instances where potential employers ask you to do an hour that I have known of, just to see if you are any good, but not four hours!

My advice, don't do it, any candidate who has self respect wouldn't consider themselves as free labour, I can see why the hotel may wish to do this....there are lots of people who apply for jobs who just aren't able to walk the talk, regardless this seems a little extreme and I think your time would be best served finding employment where you are not aired with a view of incompetence, unless you prove otherwise.

After all time is money!

Originally posted by solargeddon
reply to post by SearchLightsInc

 

Sounds terrible, I recently got a new job, one which I didn't have to work for (literally), but there are some instances where potential employers ask you to do an hour that I have known of, just to see if you are any good, but not four hours!

My advice, don't do it, any candidate who has self respect wouldn't consider themselves as free labour, I can see why the hotel may wish to do this....there are lots of people who apply for jobs who just aren't able to walk the talk, regardless this seems a little extreme and I think your time would be best served finding employment where you are not aired with a view of incompetence, unless you prove otherwise.

After all time is money!

Indeed, i would have been happy with giving up to 2 hrs of my time to prove myself but not HALF A DAYS WORK! Im now considering writing to my local newspaper - Their building is just next to this hotel!

It's called a stagiaire, but I was under the assumption it really only occurs for back of the house jobs.

It's been going on for a long, long time- in all countries.

Originally posted by Hushabye
It's called a stagiaire, but I was under the assumption it really only occurs for back of the house jobs.

It's been going on for a long, long time- in all countries.

edit on 21-5-2013 by Hushabye because: (no reason given)

Its not a chefs job, its basically bar/serving staff

I had to reread your post because I couldn't believe what my eyes were telling me. Just so I understand you. You went out and purchased clothes/uniform to work a 4 hour weekend shift unpaid and still didn't get a position and it wasn't until AFTER you did this that it occurred to you that it might be abuse?

I'm sorry but if you went through with all that and warning bells didn't go off until after, you have no one to blame but yourself and call it a lesson learned. Complain if you want to but no where in your post did you say you were kidnapped or had a gun to your head the whole time.

What are you really mad at? That you didn't get the job or that you were gullible and fell for it? I think you should be mad at yourself first.

BTW what would've happened if you were injured during this non employed shift like slipping and breaking an arm or getting a concussion? Would you get workman's comp if you weren't an employee?

Originally posted by Carreau
I had to reread your post because I couldn't believe what my eyes were telling me. Just so I understand you. You went out and purchased clothes/uniform to work a 4 hour weekend shift unpaid and still didn't get a position and it wasn't until AFTER you did this that it occurred to you that it might be abuse?

That was what was expected of me - My interview is suppose to be the coming saturday - Im cancelling tomorrow and writing to their head office.

I'm sorry but if you went through with all that and warning bells didn't go off until after, you have no one to blame but yourself and call it a lesson learned.

Could you really say the same to a naive school leaver desperate for work? I wouldnt.

Complain if you want to but no where in your post did you say you were kidnapped or had a gun to your head the whole time.

I expect a company that charges £77 a night to act professionally and within the law. Stop me if you feel my expectations are to high.

What are you really mad at?

That they're successfully getting applicants to work for free under the guise they MIGHT get a job at the end of it. Im not going to blame the victims here.

That you didn't get the job or that you were gullible and fell for it? I think you should be mad at yourself first.

I haven't fallen for it and i wont be blaming the victims of this professional scam.

BTW what would've happened if you were injured during this non employed shift like slipping and breaking an arm or getting a concussion?

That my friend is an excellent point which i will be raising to the company and my local MP.

Would you get workman's comp if you weren't an employee?

frankly, you wouldn't get anything, technically with no letter to say you're being interviewed, there's no proof you where there at all?

When I was about 18, back in Germany [1985]. I was applying for all sorts of jobs and ended up working for free for a Boutique for 2 full days. It was proper hard cleaning and sorting and everything and I did my best, because I wanted that job, just to be told that I [obviously] didn't get the job. Walking past that shop later, they always had the sign "job available" in the window and obviously got free slave labour.

I was too young and really couldn't be arsed to do anything about it but I was so angry. Had it happened to me nowadays [if you are desperate you'll do a lot of weird things], I'd do everything that is possible to stop this.

It is exploitation of people who are willing to work. It makes me sick. OP, I hope you'll do what you can about this.
Good luck.