I took a $12/hr 'trial shift' at a warehouse in Reno and learned why the ad said 'paid training'

Fiona Park · 2026-09-15T19:30:03.117494+00:00

So two weeks ago I answered a job ad in Reno for warehouse work, $17/hr, and the guy asks me to come in for a 'paid trial shift' first. I show up at 5am, work 9 hours stacking pallets, and at the end the supervisor hands me $108 cash and says they'll call me. Cool, $12/hr, which is not what the ad said. I asked about the difference and he goes 'the trial rate is different from the posted rate, that's standard.' Spoiler, they never called, but I found out from another guy on the dock that this place runs a new batch of trial workers through every week and barely hires any of them. What got me is I never asked for anything in writing before I showed up, so I had zero proof of what they promised. If an employer won't put the wage and hours in a text or email before you walk in the door, that is your sign. Has anybody else run into this trial shift setup, and did asking for it in writing ever actually work for you?

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I took a $12/hr 'trial shift' at a warehouse in Reno and learned why the ad said 'paid training' | Career Advice - Opinions Matter