Should I be paid for training or for working a trial shift?
Usually, an employer has to pay you at least minimum wage if you're:
- being trained while doing a job, or
- working a trial shift.
Ontario's (ESA) has minimum standards that employers must follow, such as rules about minimum wage. But not all jobs are covered by the ESA.
Read the Ministry of Labour's Industries and Jobs with Exemptions or Special Rules to find out more.
The right to be paid for work
Some employers will offer you a job and say that they don't have to pay you while you're being trained.
And in some workplaces, such as restaurants, employers may ask you to work a trial shift for free so they can decide if they want to hire you.
Even if you agree to work without being paid, an employer must pay you when the law says they have to.
