Interviewed for a job that requested, after the preliminary interview, that I come in the next day for a 3 hour trial. Ended up being unpaid.

Location: Boise, ID. I had a fantastic interview for a production job. Manager requested I come in the next day to work 9am to Noon for a three hour trial with their floor manager in order to test my experience. A pay rate was not yet mentioned. It was not communicated to me that it would be unpaid work.

I showed up the next day and aside from getting a few basic pointers from the floor manager, and shown their job management system, I was left alone to work. I completed about five different jobs in those three hours and barely talked to anybody. At noon, one of the workers asked me if I was given a time card and said “I assume you’re being paid, right?” and I said “I assume so but it wasn’t mentioned.” She left to get me a time card. She returned with it right when the head manager came to dismiss me for the day. He said “Oh don’t worry about that, this was just an interview thing.”

I am desperate for a job so I didn’t argue at the moment, as it felt things had gone really well. He told me he’s got another interview later in the week and would be doing his hiring the following week. Told me because of my experience I’m at the top of the list. 2.5 weeks later I am ghosted, the job listing is taken down, and 3 hours of unpaid work seems sketchy. I feel I should be paid for my time.