Boss demands electrician apprentice, who makes $15 an hour, work for free to pay off mistake

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Apr 29, 2026 3:15 PM EDT

Should employees ever be asked to work for free?

What if they've made a super big mistake… then should they be asked to work without pay? 

That's the question that this electrician's assistant is being forced to ponder! 

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  • Electrician twists a wire coming out of a wall.
    via Karolina Grabowska

    Electrician twists a wire coming out of a wall. 

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Apprentice (me) made mistake, boss wants me to work Fridays unpaid to pay it off

    Cheezburger Image 10627694080
    via pizzaroll22
  • I am in my 2nd month as an apprentice. We were trying to find the can lights to get them set up in my bosses house, and I was aware of being careful and not stepping on the drywall but we were walking through a part that had high
    via pizzaroll22
  • amounts of insulation and my foot slipped on the 2 by four and I started falling backwards and tried to catch myself and accidently stepped on the drywall.
    via pizzaroll22
  • I immediately called my boss and his wife and took ownership for the situation, apologized, asked for forgiveness, and explained how I would be extra careful moving forward, and I wasnt trying to disrespect them or their property.
    via pizzaroll22
  • Electrician ponders if he should quit job after boss insists he work for free.
    via Getty Images

    Electrician ponders if he should quit job after boss insists he work for free. 

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • They were obviously upset but I thought things would be okay. My boss called my JW and told him to let me go, but he called back like 15 minutes later and said that I could work a few Fridays at his house
    via pizzaroll22
  • unpaid to work it off. I understand that its a pretty big mistake, but its. the 1st mistake ive made on the job. I've never missed a day of work and im always the 1st person to show up and I show up with a good attitude and willingness to learn.
    via pizzaroll22
  • Maybe I need an attitude readjustment but im making $15 per hour and so im not making alot of money here, and the idea of having to work unpaid isnt sitting right with me, but it sounds like the alternative is losing my job, or even if he didnt he
    via pizzaroll22
  • has the ability to affect my raises, what jobs I go to, etc... so I dont want to be on his bad side. And it sucks that moving forward im going to be under a microscope.
    via pizzaroll22
  • What are your guys' thoughts on the situation?
    via pizzaroll22

  • It's a real shame that this boss couldn't take the blame himself. A good boss would, in fact, do that! 

    He would realize that his worker is young, just starting off in his field. This worker really shouldn't be blamed for anything yet, in the same way that interns largely work under practice conditions. Ideally, working in a trade like this, you want to learn from a boss who sees potential in you. Your boss should be willing to take the blame when they've messed up, even when that mistake is due to not preparing their workers well enough. 

    The fact that this person slipped on a 2x4 and fell backward should also be a warning sign, no? Most workplaces like this take safety measures extremely seriously. OSHA compliance is #1 in their book! 

    So these are just a few red flags that we can see sprinkled throughout this tale. Let's see what observations other people had after absorbing this electrician's assistant's tale. 

  • People had some excellent advice, starting with this golden nugget

    Vegetabl... Never work for free. He'll let you go anyway even if you did go work at his house. Fuck-ups happen. You'll find another gig.
    via pizzaroll22

    Don't ever work for free, okay? 

    If someone really values your work, they will pay you to do it. I think a lot of us fall for this when we're young and don't know any better. We think that if someone is giving us the chance to work for them, even without pay, that they're seeing our worth. But that is just the opposite. If someone has you work for free, they're viewing you as immediately disposable. They're not investing in you or cheering you on. They're just using you. 

  • Others noted that this is just not how anything works!

    ithinarine Absolutely illegal. Mistakes like this are what profits and/or insurance are for. 1000% illegal to make employees cover stuff like this, shit happens.
    via ithinarine

  • Get him good!

    sparkyto... Tell him to put it in writing
    via sparkytothemoon

  • We've barely even touched on this detail

    Charazar... 1st off fuck off 2nd this is the bosses house not a customer double fuck off. Instant quit for me dawg
    via Charazardlvl101

    But yes. The bossman is giving this worker the "opportunity" to come fix up his own house. I just can't even fathom the levels of audaciousness that are going on at this workplace. 

  • What's to stop the boss from requesting freebies with every single little mistake?

    Stormble... fuck that, no shot im doing free work. If you say yes now, youll create a dynamic where he will start to expect this sort of thing from you and others.
    via Stormblessed404
  • As the business owner he assumes these risk, Thats why he pays for insurance for the company and why he pays everyone else so little while raking in the money.
    via Stormblessed404
  • its on him all day. fuck that guy.
    via Stormblessed404

  • Experienced workers would never stand for this type of treatment

    Craig Ma... I'd tell him to get fucked before he even finished saying the word "unpaid"
    via CraigMammalton14
  • Electrician smiles while at work.
    via Getty Images

    Electrician smiles while at work.

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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