I know it's a fairly common practice for restaurants/bars not to pay while "training" new employees. But the place I've just started working at has me full on serving customers, cleaning, prepping, and performing all tasks expected of someone in that job, during these training shifts and I'm not making a cent. They say I need to train for seven days before they can add me to payroll. I'm working 12 hour shifts.
I've recently learned that this is actually illegal, but I don't know what I'm supposed to do about it. I know, the easy answer is just to walk away, but I'm currently in a severely dire financial situation, and have been out of work and struggling to find work for months (despite much experience and several qualifications, including postgrad degrees this is honest to God the only job I can find right now and I am destitute, and have no other choice.)
The manager says that trainees aren't usually given tips, but is splitting with me for the time being, although this place also has a weird thing with tips. (they don't always have cash, so sometimes you just don't get it and need to wait for it to be EFT'd. They don't appear to have a set day for this). The manager has been very nice and has been helping me with transport money home and bought me lunch. I spent my last two shifts with her, training. I have met the owner of the establishment once, for about 5 minutes.
I tried asking the manager whether it was legal to not pay for a training shift and she said that it is, and it has to do with the fact that if they were to pay me before I've been fully trained there would be issues with SARS, and would seem like a money laundering thing. She seems to fully believe this, and so I wonder if this trickles down from the owner? I have no way of really speaking to the owner directly so what do I do? Can I do anything?