So I was born and raised in the U.K. and I am leaving for Japan in 3 weeks on a student visa. As such I am only allowed to work a maximum of 28 hours per week while my visa is active as a student visa. I have been talking with a few companies ahead of time for when I arrive and I have been messaging one particular company who have said there would be a 30 day unpaid trial period, regardless of my experience and qualifications that is mandatory for me to complete before any contract or payment is discussed. They also said that after said trial there is no job guaranteed at the end upon completion. Is this legal?
From my understanding of the position this unpaid trial would not be a particular training regimen or a simulated work environment to build experience but rather me just doing the same job I would eventually be paid to do but having to do it for 30 days, for free, so they can “make sure I am able to do the job and that the quality of my work is up to their standards” with no guarantee of securing the job upon completion, after the month is up.
I am just wondering if practices like this are even legal to begin and if so how commonplace they are. I am hoping someone with a better understanding of the Japanese legal system / working rights is able to help me navigate this situation.
Thank you for reading, if you need anymore information please don’t hesitate to ask!
by I_Hope_You_Are_WeII