Decide whether to take the job

Some employers will say they’re offering you a job but they won’t pay you while you’re being trained. Or they may ask you to work a trial shift for free so they can decide if they want to hire you.

Before you decide to take the job or work the trial shift, here are things to think about:

• If you say you won’t do the training or the trial shift unless you’re paid, you might not get the job.
• An employer who refuses to pay you for working might not be a good employer.
• If you do the work, you might be able to get the money the employer owes you if you make a claim with the Ministry of Labour.

Most people don’t make claims against an employer that they’re still working for. This is because the laws to protect workers don’t stop employers from firing their workers. And if you’re fired from your job, it’s up to you to take action against the employer to get what they owe you.