DH has employed our nephew (his sister's ds, who is 15 in 3 weeks) for 2 weeks to do some labouring outside.
It has consisted of drilling holes in a brick wall, then using a hammer and chisel to remove the bricks, and get the mortar off them. So no actual heavy work like digging/lifting etc.
Anyway, DH wanted him to start at 9, have a half hour tea break about 10.30, an hour lunch break, and another half hour tea break in the afternoon and he was to finish at 5.
Day 1, his alarm didn't go off so he didn't start until 10.30, but came in at 11 for a 45 minute tea break. Went back out for 45 minutes, then came in for his lunch for an hour. An hour after he'd gone back in, he came to ask if I had any paracetamol as he had a sore back. He took it and then sat at the kitchen on his ipod for half an hour. Then to be fair, he did go out and do quite a bit in the afternoon.
Other days his alarm went off, but he sits eating his breakfast until 9.30, and then goes out. Similar story to the first day, keeps coming in and having really long breaks. Today he had a 1hr 45m lunch break.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, he's not started at 9 once, has had a sore back, a sore wrist, a sore arm, hammered himself in the hand, a piece of decking fell over onto him and he said that he was nearly killed 
, doesn't have enough energy to work, and the best one today - he couldn't get going because the weather is so dull outside and it's put him off .
Anyway, before anyone jumps on me, I know he's only 14, and is not used to "working", but he is being paid, and he was asked if he would like to do it to earn some cash. He wasn't in any way coerced into doing it by either his parents or DH.
I suppose what I'm wondering is, do you think all these complaints are genuine, or do you think he is being a bit lazy?
AIBU?
I'm on the fence with this one so would value some opinions
MrsBradleyCooper · 23/08/2011 19:09
If you want a professional job, best not to employ a 14 yr old family member 
I'm with Mardy. Pay him by the hour and watch his enthusiasm blossom
Are you paying him according to the hours he's put in? And aren't there some laws for under 16's with regards to how many hours they work?
TBH I think you're setting him up well for life in the real world by giving him paid work to do but I think, given his age, you should really have expected him to twat about and make excuses for not doing what was expected. As long as he understands that, if he only puts in 3 hours work, he will only get paid 3 hours work and not the 7 hours that he was at your house.
You may well have put him off entering the building trade tho
This has made me . Sounds very typical of a 14yr old really. And of a 29yr old who works for me.
Great idea to employ him, it'll keep him out of mischief and teach him quite a lot about the world of work - and your DH gets help. Win all round.
He is being paid by the week, but is also staying with us, so we are feeding him, he's been taken to the cinema twice, taken out for dinner twice and has had his first weeks wages already.
Having said all that, he is our nephew, so we would probably have done those things anyway.
If there are laws for under 16's re the amount of hours he works then we are certainly not breaking them .
Well both DH and I are taking it all quite lightheartedly.
I just find it humourous - especially today's comment about the weather .
Taking ds to bed now but will check back later.
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yadda yadda yadda yadda
OP - it's a good thing you are doing BUT you can't be this lenient on him, you need to be teaching him a good work ethic and you aren't. Foot down now. Reduce his hours if he feels it's too much - but explain what the reduction will mean to his pay packet!
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