The 17-year-old spoke to the Mercury this week after she was allegedly paid the equivalent of just $3.26 an hour for working 24.5 hours at Fancy Fruits in Thirroul Plaza.

A number of other young people, and even parents, have since contacted the Mercury to tell their own stories of unpaid work trials and alleged underpayment by various employers across the region.

Two of those people were prepared to speak on the record.

Mikaela (surname withheld) claims she was paid just $50 for up to 26 hours of work during a "training week".

Louise Chapman, whose daughter worked at Fancy Fruits earlier this year, said her daughter had been happily employed at the store for six weeks.

However, she held deep concerns her daughter was being underpaid.

Fancy Fruits was approached but declined to comment on the allegations.

Confusion exists over the legality of unpaid trials, which a Fair Work Ombudsman spokesman said were generally unlawful.

"However, an employer can ask an employee to demonstrate a skill, such as making a coffee, where this is directly relevant to a vacant position," he said.

Any period beyond what is reasonably required to demonstrate the skills required for the job must be paid at the appropriate minimum rate of pay.

"The trial period would be dependent on the nature and complexity of the work, but could range from an hour to one shift, but the person must be under direct supervision during that time, the spokesman said.

Employees must also be paid for probation periods, meetings, training and extra time spent opening or closing a business.

The spokesman said an investigation into allegations made by former Fancy Fruits employee Lauren Moon in a Mercury story this week was ongoing and as such it would inappropriate to comment further on the matter.

He urged anyone who feels they may have been underpaid or not received their fill entitlements to visit fairwork.gov.au or call the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94.

Mikaela, 20 

Fancy Fruits, Thirroul

I had just finished Year 12 and was just trying to find a bit of part time work.

Being 18 and having no work experience it was hard to find anything.

I just applied at Fancy Fruits and they gave me a training week, I think I worked 25 to 26 hours, they gave me $50 at the end of the week, I was kind of like ok.

Then I was paid $10 an hour cash in hand.

When I did my training I was saying do I need to bring my tax file number, do I need to sign anything, and was told ‘‘oh no don’t worry about it, we’ll fix it up at the time’’. 

So I was under the impression it would become more legit once I finished training but that obviously never came about.

When they were discussing pay I remember them saying ‘‘under Fair Work Australia this is actually better than what you’re meant to get,’’ and at the time I was like I know that’s not true but it’s slim pickings out there so I’ll take when I can get.

At the end of the day they’d have us count our own tills and if our tills were out they’d take it out of your pay, that was one of the main reasons I quit. If I went on a break or if I’d go do something else the boss would use my till so that’s something I had a big problem with.

When you’re earning $150 a week, $5 here and there, or $20 if it was out by that much, ends up being quite a lot.

I kind of regret now not having done something earlier like talk to Fair Work Australia, when I was there I didn’t want to jeopardise my job and when I left it was almost too late I felt, and I just wanted to get out of there and not have to talk to them again.

* The owners of Fancy Fruits were approached for comment but chose not to respond to the allegations made.

Louise Chapman (parent of girl, 17)

Fancy Fruits, Thirroul

My daughter and I went there on a Sunday afternoon and the owner happened to be there and said to come in the following Tuesday for a trial.

She started on May 13 and worked there for six weeks.

She had to go in on a Monday each week whether she was working or not and get paid in cash, there was no record of them ever working there, there were no pay slips, no tax form with your tax file number, nothing from them. That first week or so that she did three or four shifts she probably was paid only about $80, I’m sure she wasn’t paid correctly.

She was fairly happy with the work itself, she said quite a few of the girls were quite nice, she didn’t have any problems with them. 

There were no rosters, the woman just sent a text at about 8pm if you were supposed to come in the next day.

I think it was maybe a Tuesday that she worked and then heard nothing for the rest of the week.

She went in the next Monday to pick up her pay and was told she’d been sacked.