HELP Please - Small business taking free labour on 'trial period'

RG94

OK so i had a job interview yesterday and got a call this morning to say I start on Monday, however the first week is a trial period and you don't get paid but at the end of the week they'll decide whether to employ you permanently. This then makes the week trial period your week in hand and you'll get paid if you are taken on permanently, however you get paid in cash every Friday? seems rather strange to me. Also they advertised for the exact same job 2 weeks ago (same email address and address but pay and hours were different) then it was down after a week, now they've put up another one (the one I applied for). To me it seems like a rather strange operation, your thoughts please? The job is working as a data entry clerk but the job entails putting listings on ebay. Not sure whether to call them up and say I don't wanna do it because it doesn't seem right and I doubt it will lead to a proper job and I dont wanna have to spend money get there for it not to be an opportunity.

Do you think they keep taking people on on a week trial but really they're just taking the free labour and have no intention of taking you on permanently.

colino

You potentially, and the others that have gone before you, are propping up a scam artist who is avoiding tax and proper overheads to undercut real businesses. Run away.

RG94

colino wrote: »

You potentially, and the others that have gone before you, are propping up a scam artist who is avoiding tax and proper overheads to undercut real businesses. Run away.

I emailed the manager and he replied back saying that the reason for the week trial is to allow them to know the person is able to do the required work and if they would like to offer that person a permanent position. He also sent me a document that explains the condition of the trial:
It is agreed that the Company has the right to end the one week trial period at any time.

It is agreed that if the one week trial period does not lead to an employment contract that no money will be paid for the one week trial period.
It is agreed that if the one week trial period is successful that the week is paid for and is used as a week in hand.
It is agreed that if a contract is given and that a minimum of three months is not served that the one week in hand is not paid.
It is agreed that if more than 3 months is served that the one week in hand is paid.
It is agreed and understood that you do not go onto any other pages on ebay apart from the ones shown in Training.

purplepardalis

Please don't do it. It is most likely a scam to get free labour and those terms are highly unfavourable

Uncertain

purplepardalis wrote: »

Please don't do it. It is most likely a scam to get free labour and those terms are highly unfavourable

I agree.

I suspect some of the terms would be legally unenforceable but even then it would no doubt be difficult or impossible to get your money.

Notmyrealname

purplepardalis wrote: »

Please don't do it. It is most likely a scam to get free labour and those terms are highly unfavourable

There speaks someone who has never employed anyone.

You cannot just take someone off the street, put them in a post and have them at a decent level of productivity from day 1.

[Deleted User]

I saw this scam on the television a few weeks ago. It's along the lines of you have to set up the eBay and paypal account, they dispatch the goods, after u transfer the money to them. The goods are faulty so the eBay customers come to you for a refund. You have handed over the money but it is your responsibly to refund them. The girl on tv had to pay almost £1000 of her own money! Avoid avoid avoid!

ohreally

RG94 wrote: »

the reason for the week trial is to allow them to know the person is able to do the required work and if they would like to offer that person a permanent position.

There is no reason the individual can't be paid while suitability is assessed.

The trial has scam written all over it.

RG94

Deleted_User wrote: »

I saw this scam on the television a few weeks ago. It's along the lines of you have to set up the eBay and paypal account, they dispatch the goods, after u transfer the money to them. The goods are faulty so the eBay customers come to you for a refund. You have handed over the money but it is your responsibly to refund them. The girl on tv had to pay almost £1000 of her own money! Avoid avoid avoid!

The job was advertised on the directgov website and you're using their ebay account (which is a very good ebay account)


Thanks to everyone for the replies. I'm going to go in on Monday to see if the same people are there who were working on Friday and if there are new people starting. I've been searching for a job for ages so might as well try this opportunity out

Dunroamin

RG94 wrote: »

The job was advertised on the directgov website and you're using their ebay account (which is a very good ebay account)


Thanks to everyone for the replies. I'm going to go in on Monday to see if the same people are there who were working on Friday and if there are new people starting. I've been searching for a job for ages so might as well try this opportunity out

Was the fact that the job is paying cash in hand on the directgov site?

If you're unemployed, I don't see that you've got anything to lose by risking doing a week's unpaid work.

RG94

Dunroamin wrote: »

Was the fact that the job is paying cash in hand on the directgov site?

If you're unemployed, I don't see that you've got anything to lose by risking doing a week's unpaid work.

It doesn't say how you will be paid, but when I went to the interview yesterday the interviewer said that they pay cash as that's how people prefer it to be paid rather than through the banks and that they take away the tax before paying you