Not entirely sure how legal this company is. - Painter Student Works Employee Review

1.0
Jul 19, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Meet new friends Work outside (also a con) Casual Clients are usually really nice Learning experience Supervisor was really nice

Cons

Terrible/Questionably legal pay system - When you're employed, they let you know about their piece-rate system. It sounds fine, basically, you get an hourly budget for every job. If the job is supposed to take 10 hours, and you finish in 8 hours, you get paid for 10 hours anyways. That's fine, assuming that the system for estimating the budget is in favour of the employee. It is not, not by a long shot. We were given 25 hours to complete a job that a professional painter of 20 years estimated would take 48 hours total with a team of 6. We were a team of two and because of how the budget works, we had 12.5 hours between two people. It's almost straight up theft in my experience. Too much expected for the pay- Hard, hot and unsafe work for minimum wage. Weather dependant - Was promised full time. There were a few weeks where I only worked 20 hours because of rain or temperatures being too high. You can get screwed over by their hierarchy of responsibilities - I didn't get my first paycheck until after a month and a half of me working. Even then I was only paid for the first two weeks. If you want a steady paycheck, look elsewhere. Safety isn't a priority to these people - The safety training was a joke. A complete joke. It was an online course that takes about an hour to complete if you do it undistracted. The "Tests" at the end could've been completed without watching the videos. None of the rules are paid attention to at the work-place anyways. My advice? Stay away, far away from this company. They're taking advantage of students who are desperate to make ends meet. You'll work harder than you've ever worked before and be paid for 1/5th of it. Don't play their game, and don't let any of your friends play their game.

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Student Works Response
9y
We are so disappointed that your experience with your operator was an unhappy one. Certainly it is very difficult to give specific feedback to your concerns. I do not have the back story. Certainly, your story seems to be a massive exaggeration. If the operator miss estimated the budget from 25 hours to 48 hours, there will be a massive problem! I totally understand that. If that was your only experience of our company, there is little wonder why you are so upset! I totally understand. One of our values is the Results Economy. We recruit that want to be paid what value they create. Most of the people in our organization love this plan as they earn more and feel more in control. On the other hand, it is the law that someone is guaranteed minimum wage no matter what plan they have. There is no reason that someone should wait six weeks for a pay cheque. I have no idea why that happened. We run payrolls every two weeks. I am very concerned that you feel your safety training was not followed. On this note, I do request you call our office so we can do a deep dive. This is of the gravest concern! We take our safety system and processes very seriously. In fact, we just had an independent auditor do a safety audit of our program and gave us a stellar score. However, we know that one good review does not make us complacent and we also know that some operators may not follow the program when others are not watching. Please call Stephanie at our office 800 465 2029 Student Works

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5.0
Nov 28, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

best AND BEST GOOD CULTURE

Cons

good students and staff and others

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Student Works Response
2w
Thank you so much for the 5-star review! We're thrilled to hear that you're loving the culture and the people around you — that's something we truly pride ourselves on. Thank you for being part of the team!
3.0
Jan 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

all well and happy place

Cons

sometimes work environment is toxic

avatar
Student Works Response
2w
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback! We're happy to hear that you're enjoying your experience overall and find it to be a positive environment. We do take your concerns about the work environment seriously — a healthy and supportive atmosphere is something we're always working to strengthen. Your advice to management is appreciated and will be taken to heart as we continue to grow and improve. Thank you for being part of the team!
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