Having to wait for everyone's lifts after work

Whilst I tend to agree with the “make them wait outside” comments, a local pub has recently been slated on social media for doing this very thing. They subsequently denied it and all blew over.

I can’t see what other option you have as team leader though. At one time it was routine in my city for pubs and clubs to provide taxis for their staff. I’m comfortable out on my own, but I’m not sure I’d be happy waiting outside at the end of a pub shift - too predictable, chance of drunk customers about.

I think those who say you don't have any responsibility for these workers are wrong.

You absolutely have a duty of care for your staff IMO.

But yes, you also have a duty of care to yourself also - you need to sort out your time management.

Have a grown up conversation with your staff, set out your expectations for closing out end of shift and explain that for insurance purposes, security and safety reasons all staff must be off the premises and picked up/lifts etc promptly at closing.

If you wait with them tell the parent that they need to arrive earlier otherwise the young girls will be left alone outside and they may shake them up a bit. I'd also say you wait with them because you feel you should, but that means you're doing that in your own time, you can't accommodate for others on nights you don't work

They're adults. They ought to be making their own way home. I worked in a pub from age 16 and got myself to and from work.

It isn't something unexpected here, nothing special has happened. Restaurants and bars have always been like this and workers just arrange their own way home. You know during a shift if it's going to be a quick or long clean-up. The pub manager doesn't expect OP to stay, we don't even know if the 19yos or their parents do, OP just needs to lock up and leave.

Right.

And frankly better for their own parents to be inconvenienced than the OP. It won't kill them to sit in their cars for 10-15 minutes.

At 19 they should be able to make their own way home, without any involvement from you or their parents, either drive patents car, get their own car, share a taxi or cycle

Just tell them you are shutting up and they need to wait outside. Once you reinforce that boundary I'm sure they'll either get a taxi, get their lift there earlier or decide that waiting outside isn't so scary after all. You sound very kind, but they are taking advantage of you.

This is absolutely unacceptable. You need to say you will be leaving at x time and locking up. Their responsibility to arrange lifts not yours. So inconsiderate. But if there isn't a definite finishing time it does make things lot more difficult.

When you start the shift with them you tell them "you need to make sure you're ready to leave at the end of shift. I don't have time to wait with you for your lift tonight." 30 minutes before close "make sure your lift is on the way, I'm leaving at the end of my shift, I do not have time to wait with you."

And then at the end of shift you lock up as you're supposed to and everybody goes outside. I would leave them to wait alone. They're adults, it's pretty normal for young adults to find their own way home after work. I used to work in a nightclub in the town center at that age, I either got a taxi or waited till the first bus, and I'm still in my 20s, it wasn't that long ago.

If you don't want to leave them alone becuase you're scared something will happen to them. Then wait outside with them. And I'd even just say hello to parent and say "please could you guys work out a better arrangement for lifts. We're having to stay behind and wait with your kids after we've finished work and we really need to get home to our own families."

They're not your children to look after.

What's your manager going to do that's different to what you've already done? Tell them to phone for their lifts when it's looks like they're 20 minutes way from being done, but say it with more authority? They're 19, if they can't get their arses in gear then it's them who needs to deal with the consequences.

Should these adult-children even be working in a pub? A lot of people have left home aged 19 and would need to sort themselves out. If you are choosing to be a martyr for them, then there is no way you should ask your work to pay you extra. Do you normally get over-involved in other people's lives OP if this situation seems acceptable to you?

They don’t like waiting outside? But it’s ok to make you wait? Fuck that shit. Tell them that from tomorrow you will be locking up and they will have to wait outside for their lift as you are no longer waiting for them . Say you’ve given them enough time to get into a routine and sorted and that doesn’t seem to have helped. So you are giving them notice that from their next shift, you won’t be doing that anymore as it impacts on you too much.

I think once you've left them outside on their own once, their parents will make sure they pick up on time in future. Just give them advance warning that in future you will no longer be letting them wait inside as you will be locking up and leaving as soon as your taxi arrives.

Just adding to the consensus, you aren't expected nor paid to babysit 19 year olds. Let them know you'll be locking up at finish time and then just go. When they start being left, they can work out for themselves if waiting around is OK or not.

I think you tell the staff, and their parents next time, that you can't be hanging around at the end of a long shift and will be leaving as soon as your taxi arrives.

Do the "girls" finish at a set time? If so why are their lifts so late? If not, can you give them a set time or remind them they need.to. call parents at x stage in the clearing up process?

Your life was on hold because of your decisions. I am amazed at your entitlement.

Make it the parents issue not yours, if they don’t feel safe they need to moan that their parents were late, not that you wouldn’t wait. Not your problem!

Are the two women waiting together. If so they are totally fine. If their parents are concerned about them hanging around in the dark they would be there good and early. They are all taking advantage of your kindness. As said, warn once and from then on go home.

OP made it clear that the end of day staff can't have a set finish time as it depends how much clear up and work needs to be done after the last patrons have gone.

Sorry, I wasn't clear - I saw that but I'm unsure if the 'always seems to be a delay' is a delay in calling the parents or a delay with the parents arriving.

This is very very simple. If they don't want to wait outside then they need to communicate with their parents in a timely way.
If the parents don't want them to wait then they can arrive on time.

If they are intentionally staging things so parents dint have to wait then they are valuing their time over yours. This won't stop unless you set a boundary.

Easy way is to say early in the evening 'heads up girls, I will be leaving on the dot tonight as I have to get back quickly. If they question why then they are being rude. Just repeat , I will be leaving immediately after finishing so you'll have to wait outside tonight.

They'll either arrange it so they are not having to wait or they will wait. If god forbid anything happens, that's on them and their parents not you.

Slightly different because my DD is younger but I always aim to be 10 mins late picking her up from anything (or tell her to be ready 10 mins earlier than i plan yo be there) because she faffs about so much and I hate sitting in the car waiting.

Is your pub in a central location? When I was the same age as your colleagues I befriended the receptionists at a hotel a couple of doors down from the pub and waited in the foyer for my parents.

The parents need to arrive earlier or the 'girls' need to find another solution. It's not fair to make you wait.

This.

You need not sacrifice your life to theirs. As long as you continue to accommodate them, they won't change.

They are adults who need to sort the situation or find a different employer.