Unpaid Trial Shifts and Training: Is It Legal in Ontario?

Under Ontario's Employment Standards Act, if an employer requires you to do work, including training or a trial shift, it is generally work, and you must be paid at least minimum wage for it.

Usually paid

• A trial shift where you serve customers, prepare food or do other real work.
• Training the employer requires before or after you start, including online courses.
• Time spent in required meetings.

Usually not covered

• A short, genuine interview.
• Training programs offered by a school, college or university as part of your studies, which have their own rules.

If you weren't paid

1. Write down the dates, hours and what you did.
2. Ask the employer in writing to pay for those hours.
3. You can file a claim with the Ministry of Labour for unpaid wages, usually within two years.

For employers

Pay for trial shifts and required training. It avoids claims, and it is the law.

Sources

• Employment Standards Act, 2000
• Ontario: your guide to the Employment Standards Act

Read next: Delivery and Rideshare Workers: Your Rights in Ontario

General Ontario legal information, not legal advice for your matter, and reading it does not create a retainer. Sources checked 15 October 2026: check the current law, forms and dates before you act.

Photos from Pexels: Colleagues in a meeting at an office · Taking notes during a job interview.

This article is general information for people in Ontario, not legal advice. Rules, forms and deadlines change, and every situation is different. Check the current rule or speak to a licensed legal professional before you act.