Hello everyone.

I am seeking a job to become a Dog-Groomer.
If I could pay for training school, it will be just simple thing, but I can not afford for training school right now.

So I searched for a job who offers a training on the job.
When I went in for an interview, I heard a odd thing and it did not sound legal.

The owner of the shop said I will be going through a traing on the premise while working for six months before I will be able to handle a client's dog/puppy. But there will be no pay, not a single penny during that six months period.

Is it legle not to pay your employee, just because you are training them about the job? Even if you will be working during those period with such a things a cleaning up the premise, feeding dogs, cleaning up after them, etc?

It just seems as she is taking a advantage of people who is in need of help for new career.

Please give me some advises.

Thank you.

Happy New Year

Not legal. You would have to be paid at least minimum wage.

http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs22.pdf

This fact sheet provides general information concerning what constitutes compensable time under the FLSA. The Act requires that employees must receive at least the minimum wage and may not be employed for more than 40 hours in a week without receiving at least one and one-half times their regular rates of pay for the overtime hours. The amount employees should receive cannot be determined without knowing the number of hours worked.

Lectures, Meetings and Training Programs: Attendance at lectures, meetings, training programs and similar activities need not be counted as working time only if four criteria are met, namely: it is outside normal hours, it is voluntary, not job related, and no other work is concurrently performed.

Thank you for your reply DAW.

Should I care to report that business to Labor Department?

You can, but realistically, with budget cuts and reduced staff, if an individual's PAY has not actually been affected, it's unlikely that the DLSE will pursue it.