Yes I agree, but this is not about working for 3 months unpaid, this is about a coding interview: https://github.com/surya-soft/Interview/issues/2

This is a completely different company than the original post mentioned.

A 4 hour coding assignment is half a day of work. I don't care if it is a toy project and if there is no business value in the work. But a 4 hour coding assignment is still half a day.

I may have to take a leave from my current work, take half a day off off my current contract or spend a significant part of my weekend on this problem, instead of with my family. I certainly expect to be paid for it.

@jonandersense Honestly, I prefer doing a 1 day onsite interview. The equation is different here. Here, the company is investing as much time in interviewing me as I am putting in them. It sounds fair.

But doing half a day coding exercise even before any technical interviewer in the company is ready to talk to me has a very imbalanced investment of time from both sides. I invest 4 hours in the company when the company invests none.

That's true, it does take time. Interviewing for larger companies at least in the US is usually 1 day onsite. Would you expect to get paid for that as well? In the end however you do it you'll have to spend a few hours interviewing.