Unpaid Trial Work Periods (Prohibition) Bill 2017-19
The Unpaid Trial Work Periods (Prohibition) Bill 2017-19 is due to have its second reading debate on 16 March 2018.
The Unpaid Trial Work Periods (Prohibition) Bill 2017-19 was introduced to Parliament on 19 July 2017 through the ballot procedure and is due to have its second reading debate on 16 March 2018. It is sponsored by Stewart Malcolm McDonald MP. The Bill is available on the Parliament website, where one can follow its progress.
The Bill would apply to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Bill would, among other things, require employers to pay job applicants, undertaking trial work periods, at least the National Minimum Wage (NMW). It is a response to anecdotal evidence that some employers request that job applicants undertake unpaid trial shifts to prove their ability to perform the work. This has given rise to concerns that the practice is being used to exploit job applicants through extracting free labour with no guarantee of work.