A desperate teenager claims he was not paid for hours of trial shifts at a discount store and was forced to 'work like a slave' by the boss.
Lewis King said he worked for nothing because he thought it would lead to a permanent job - but it did not materialise.
He said he did 15 hours of shifts at the Stack It High Sell It Cheap store without any pay, Hull Live reports .
The shop’s manager Hafiza Riaz claims Mr King only did one full shift before “walking out” midway through his second shift – something the 18-year-old disputes.
However, she confirmed Mr King was not paid for any of the work he did at the store at the end of May and he now wants the shop to reimburse him for his travel costs and for the hours he spent working in the store.
Mr King said: “I worked for free and it felt like slave labour. I’m on Universal Credit and have £135 to live on a month after I’ve paid everything and I must have spent £20 of that on transport to get to the shop.
“£20 is a big chunk of money for me and losing that has left me struggling. It’s about a fifth of my money and it leaves me out of pocket.
“I could have used that money to go and see my mum but instead I’ve spent it on something else. I feel like I’ve been taken advantage of and I am desperate because £135 a month is pretty much nothing.”
Mr King, who helped to unload stock and carry out transactions on the tills, says he worked three shifts on May 29, May 31 and June 1, before being told he could not get the hours he wanted to work for another two months.
However, Ms Riaz says the teenager worked one five-hour shift before disappearing on his second shift without telling any members of staff.
She said: “He did one shift and then he came the next time and just left without telling me. I asked other staff and they said he just left without telling anyone.
“He didn’t do 15 hours. He did a few hours as a trainee and we are allowed to give out one shift without pay as a trainee.”
She could not confirm whether or not Mr King would have been offered a job but said if he had he would have been employed on a zero-hours contract.
Mr King came out of care just a few months ago and has managed to find a flat in the city centre.
However, he has made a desperate plea for a job so that he can carry on supporting himself financially when he starts college later this year.
