A job candidate who says he spent nine hours completing a take-home assignment for a prospective employer is winning fans online after deciding to invoice the company for $900 when he was rejected.
The post, shared by Reddit user No-Street-6651, describes a multi-stage interview process that included three rounds of interviews and a detailed six-page project for a marketing brand manager position.
After being told the company was, “going in a different direction,” the applicant said he sent an invoice totaling $900 to compensate for what he described as consulting-level work.
‘Well beyond’
Screenshots shared in the thread show an itemized invoice billing eight hours of research and consulting work at $100 per hour, plus an additional hour for presentation materials.
The applicant also included a follow-up email explaining the scope of the work and requesting payment within 14 days.
In response to an invitation to comment, the original poster (OP) told Newsweek, “In my view, the scope of this assignment went well beyond a standard evaluation exercise.
“It required the kind of strategic thinking and professional-level output you’d expect from a paid consultant, not a job applicant.”
Responses to the post largely backed the move, such as the gif that simply hailed “Legend” at the OP.
“I really want on update on how this plays out,” a Reddit supporter began, “you deserve to be compensated for your time!
“I hope they pay you—sue ‘em if they don’t Good luck, hope this works in your favor and please come back here with results. We are all rooting for you.”
Another pundit was blunt: “I want to preface by saying that I am wholeheartedly on your side. F these pieces of ****.
“But what do you do when they tell you to go f*** yourself and refuse to pay?”
Caution Urged
The situation reflects a growing debate around unpaid labor in hiring processes, particularly in industries that rely on project-based assessments.
According to Mind the Product, such assignments can cross into unpaid consulting work.
Todd Lewandowski, a senior product manager, warned in the article that candidates should be cautious about the scope of these requests, arguing that extensive projects risk benefiting companies without compensation.
Concerns about unpaid assignments have also been raised in broader workplace discussions.
A report published by Yahoo Lifestyle noted that some applicants are being asked to complete hours of unpaid work as part of interview processes.
A writer described how companies requested multi-hour projects without offering payment, despite reviewing existing portfolios.
‘I’ve pushed back’
Reddit user No-Street-6651 went on to tell Newsweek that the hiring company has since responded multiple times, declining to pay, citing that the project was optional and framed as part of their standard interview process.
“I’ve pushed back, noting that in practice, completion was required to remain in consideration and that framing work as an ‘interview exercise’ doesn’t automatically exempt a company from compensation obligations when the deliverable holds real commercial value,” the OP said.
Source – https://www.newsweek.com/job-applicant-gets-rejected-called-legend-for-what-he-does-next-11756023