Did I get ripped off??

I was hired by University First Class Painters to work for the summer. I
realize that this is a job that required responsiblity and proper training
but I'm just wondering if this is the proper procedure. Recently we had a
training session that was originally supposed to last 4-5 hours but
actually ended up being 12 and a half hours. We painted almost the whole
bottom floor of a house. There are one or two more training sessions like
this and this is NOT paid training.

I always thought there's supposed to be some kind of a training wage for
things like this but being trained for 12 hours from 9:30am to 10pm just
doesn't seem right to me. The person I work for is a franchise manager so I
don't even know what the proper procedure of University First Class
Painters is in such cases since every franchise can be slightly different.


In addition, I don't feel that there was much training happening at all.
Granted I feel more comfortable with the work but it seems like the focus
was more on getting the job done than on training the employees. Maybe I'm
being paranoid but I'm just wondering what the normal procedure is for
physically demanding jobs such as painting, construction and such. I really
enjoyed the job but I am also quite naive I admit and I don't want to get
scammed into working for free.


In our manual which we were supposed to study it also says that for the
first few (I don't remember off the top of my head...2 or 3) weeks we're
supposed to be paid a training wage. It says nothing about a training
period without pay.

Am I just being a wuss or is there something to this?

There is most certainly something to this. It may just be sloppiness on the part of the people in charge - but then again, they may be exploiting you. I say bring it to their attention as soon as possible - and go in armed with the manual.

I would go talk to them and take the manual with you for sure. It sounds like you're getting the short end of the stick on the deal. You should be paid something for training, especially if the manual says you are to be paid.

I would at the very least demand payment for the 7-8 hours you're working that apparently aren't counted as "training."

these people did'nt tell you ahead of time what the real deal was ! did they even supply beverages or meals? i've been through that type of crap before for being a vacuum cleaner salesman, what a gigantic rip ! you'll find a way better job than that ! never the less i bailed out of that salesman seminar inside of an hour. i knew where it was going ! rock on, john

Originally Posted by: john racethese people did'nt tell you ahead of time what the real deal was ! did they even supply beverages or meals?

Speaking of which, you should also demand that they buy you drinks as compensation. :D

well the thing is they did at least give us food and drinks. Otherwise we would have gone through the day just on breakfast. They ordered pizzas for us but still I find this kind of unfair. Like someone said, what really bothers me that I wasn't told at the beginning how this would work. First it was 2 weeks training with pay then one day 5 hour training, and now there's a total of 3 training sessions one of which (at least) is 12 hours????

In addition, what also makes me uncomfortable is that this is the kind of job where at the beginning there is an estimate where they tell us how long the job should take. If we take longer to do the job, we get paid only for the time on the estimate. For example if they estimate that a job should take 30 hours and we do it in 35, we get paid for 30 still. Now, I knew this after my interview and I didn't have a problem with it but now that I doubt my manager's honesty I don't know if I trust them to make good and fair estimates either..

Call your local State or federal Labor Department office and ask if what they are doing is legal. If not they are screwed big time.

Legal or not, I say bail out before it's too late. This is a crap deal. You can do way better. Also I doubt it is legal.

Ok thanks everyone for the feedback. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't just asking too much. :rolleyes:

You can never ask too much from the managerial machine, buddy. Get up to that office and stick it to the man! :D