Introduction:Recently, a franchise store of Luckin Coffee in Shandong was exposed for allegedly paying an intern employee only 4 yuan (approx. US$0.56) for four days of trial work, sparking widespread public concern. Is a trial period equivalent to unpaid labor? How should workers protect their own rights? This article delves into the labor issues behind this incident and offers practical advice to help readers avoid potential risks.
Recently, a post circulated on Chinese social media in which a recently resigned employee revealed that after completing a four-day trial at a Luckin Coffee franchise in Shandong, they were only paid 4 yuan, triggering heated discussion online. According to the employee, they had applied for a part-time position, and the store indicated that they would need to undergo five days of training. If their performance was satisfactory, they could then be officially hired.
However, on the fourth day of the training period, the store dismissed the employee, citing “inability to adapt to the work environment.” When the employee requested payment for the four days worked, the store transferred just 4 yuan, explaining that “the daily wage was 1 yuan.” It is worth noting that no formal labor contract or trial agreement was signed by either party—only WeChat chat records were available as evidence.
After the incident came to light, netizens expressed strong dissatisfaction, calling the “1 yuan per day” pay extremely unreasonable. One comment even noted: “That’s not even enough to buy the cheapest Luckin Coffee!” Some netizens advised the employee to seek legal recourse through police reports or labor arbitration to recover fair compensation.
Under public pressure, the store later contacted the employee and promised to settle payment based on an hourly wage of 10 yuan, covering the total of 25 hours worked over the four days, and completed the salary reimbursement. However, this rate still falls below the minimum hourly wage set in many regions, prompting further debate on the fairness of trial-period wages.
In fact, this same franchise has previously been accused by another netizen of similar practices. It was claimed that this individual, after only doing simple tasks such as labeling at the same store in late November, was dismissed after two days and received just 2 yuan for eight hours of work—indicating possible systemic issues with the store’s employment practices.
Regarding such incidents, many netizens believe that even if employees eventually receive partial payment, they should still actively pursue their rights through legal channels—especially in examining and appealing whether the wages set for trial periods comply with local minimum wage standards. In many provinces and cities across China, the minimum hourly wage is generally higher than 10 yuan, meaning trial wages should definitely align with relevant regulations.
In addition, as the official Luckin Coffee account joined the discussion around the incident, many netizens called on the brand to proactively monitor the labor practices of its franchise stores to prevent individual outlets’ misconduct from damaging the overall brand image. Many consumers stated that frequent labor disputes at franchise locations could undermine consumer trust and loyalty to the brand.
Experts advise job seekers to confirm details such as job responsibilities, wage conditions, and whether any related agreements will be signed before undertaking trial work or training. They also recommend keeping chat records and proof of working hours to serve as evidence in case of rights violations. At the same time, there are calls for relevant authorities to strengthen labor supervision within the franchise business model, ensuring the basic rights of every worker are not infringed upon.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
