TL;DR
UK trial weeks ("working interviews") have grown 240% since 2023. They sit in a legal grey zone. Done right, they're useful to both sides. Done wrong, they expose candidates to unpaid labour and weak IP positions.
The UK legal position
- Paid trial, formal contract: fully legal
- Unpaid trial under 2 hours, part of interview: typically legal
- Unpaid trial of a full day or more: almost always unlawful under the National Minimum Wage Act 1998
If you're doing productive work that generates value, the law requires you to be paid at least minimum wage.
The 7 questions to get answered in writing
- Exact pay rate, when paid
- What specific work you'll do
- Who assesses your work
- What success looks like, concretely
- When and how the decision is communicated
- How the trial affects probation or notice
- IP ownership of work produced
The 7th is the one most candidates skip. Get it in writing.
The contrarian take
For senior candidates, a trial week is leverage. You learn far more about the company than they learn about you. You meet the team. You spot the dysfunctions interviews would have hidden.
If your CV puts you in this position, CVPilot can help you make sure it's strong enough to negotiate from.
Full guide: https://cvpilot.pro/blog/job-trial-week-uk-workers?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=trial
Have you done a trial week? What did you learn from it?
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