© Birmingham Post and Mail
Jay El-leboudy, a 15-year-old from Canterbury, had been doing two shifts a week at a Londis store in Longport. According to his mother, Zoe Buckwell, an arrangement had been made with the store's owners that he would have a week-long trial to see how he did.
After 10 weeks, however, the teen became increasingly worried that he still had not received any pay, and was then reportedly told by the owners they had never agreed to pay him. Posting on the Canterbury Residents Facebook page, Buckwell asked for help from her neighbours as she was "not sure what to do about it".
"He was waiting to get paid in all this time, because the shop owner said she needed permission from the council and his school before she could pay him," she wrote. "She's now decided to say she never agreed to pay him, it was only volunteer work."
El-leboudy also chimed in, saying the shop owner owed him at least £100. "I'm 15 years old and had been working in the shop for a few months. On Monday night I had to leave as I was informed by kitty (the owner) that she never intended to pay me and that it was just 'voluntary work' even though I had been working till 9:30 pm on school nights.
"She has paid me once before and had numerous conversations with me and my mum regarding my next payment... I have recently found out that she has done this before to others my age. She [owes me] over £100 and wasted 45 hours of my working time."
© Huffington Post
Comment: Sounds like the shop owner has been doing this for some time and is covering his rear end. Working for food and coffee. Really!? How many others have they done this to?