British journalists have discovered that operators of UK foodservice chains such as Mexican Wahaca often offer “trial” shifts. But then they refuse to work. Some scammers find free cleaners on Telegram.
Lesya, a former Ukrainian civil servant from Kiev, arrived in the UK last year and was aware that she would likely expect a low-skilled job due to difficulties with English. This was reported by the British edition of Byline Times.
Fake Jobs on Telegram
The woman responded to the announcement of the cleaning company Golden Hands Cleaning, which posted vacancies on Telegram.
“I decided to give it a try. It was a little scary, but I’m glad I could help.”
He did not personally meet anyone from Golden Hands Cleaning: he took all the tasks via online chat and went to the clients to clean the building.
After the first month, Lesya was not paid. Asked representatives of the company, they said that they had some financial difficulties, and then they completely stopped communicating. Lesya contacted other cleaners: they turned out to have the same story – they did not pay.
Other Ukrainian women did not want publicity, but Lesya nevertheless turned to the labor disputes department, after which she wrote an application to the court to repay the debt. But at the hearing, she heard that the company went bankrupt and could not get its debt.
Several other Ukrainian women have been victims of similar exploitation in the cleaning and accommodation sector in the UK. They were not paid “trial” work shifts or laid off unpaid.
Julia and her daughter Maria arrived in England from Sumy last May. He applied to more than a hundred companies and eventually got a trial shift as an assistant cook at the Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca.
“I spent four hours peeling pounds of broccoli and sweet potatoes,” he said. By the end of the working day, my hands were blistered.
When asked when it would be possible to find out if he had been hired, he was told that the restaurant had received a large number of applications from applicants and would have to go through the “trial” process for a few more weeks. He didn’t wait for an answer.
He worked two more trial shifts – in a cafe and a restaurant, clearing tables for four hours without any direction, supervision or instruction. The Ukrainian woman waited two months, after which she was denied employment.
The woman said, “It was horrible. They used me and nobody told me anything. I spent time and money on shipping. I was just unpaid labor for them.”
His 18-year-old daughter, Maria, worked a trial shift at a bakery in southwest London without any senior staff or manager.
“There were only two girls my age who couldn’t see how I was communicating with customers, neither the manager nor the boss. They promised to contact me in a few days, but I waited three weeks for their reply,” the girl said.
“Test” shifts: how to recognize scammers
The UK’s Counseling, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, or ACAS, explained that an employer may be willing to work in an unpaid shift to determine if a candidate is fit for the job.
According to ACAS representatives:
- if it takes longer than necessary to consider the applicant, the trial shift may be a scam;
- or if the work is done unattended.
Wahaca representatives claimed to reporters that trial shifts were meant to test how workers behave in real conditions, and not to save money.
Another Ukrainian named Maria arrived in the UK with her mother in March 2022. The first few months she completed her training, took a break due to the war, and then took a job as a manager at a boutique beauty salon in London.
Two weeks later the manager called him and said that his contract would be terminated immediately. Maria spent the next two months fighting for her salary at the Employment Center and ACAS.
Later, the girl returned to Ukraine and told reporters that if there had been no war, she would never have gone to England.
“We came to protect our children from war and to find jobs, but we have neither rights nor privileges in the UK,” he explained.
Recall that after a massive attack on Ukrainian cities on July 18, the OP announced that the Russian Federation was trying to provoke new waves of refugees from Ukraine.
It was also reported that Ukrainian refugees were offered to stay in Canada forever: the program will start from October 23.
Source: Focus
Alfred Hart is an accomplished journalist known for his expert analysis and commentary on global affairs. He currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker, where he provides readers with in-depth coverage of the most pressing issues affecting the world today. With a keen insight and a deep understanding of international politics and economics, Alfred’s writing is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the world we live in.