DD making her own way home from a bar job in the city centre.

Blimey you have strong opinions here too. I think an 18 year old still studying is a little different to, for instance, a parent needing to work to pay bills. I just think the particular job with the very late bus and long bus travel home isn't worth the risks. Definitely admire the girl's work ethic and it's totally up to her.

Your thoughts on what? How awful the DD must be for wanting to earn money that you won’t deign to?

Fuck all to do with the actual dilemma, but let’s point out that her DD has different values about the value of her time to your own?

Ha ha. Of course it's her decision. Just my thoughts not a judgement oh weird one.

When I was 18, I worked until 3am, both Friday & Saturday night, in our local nightclub. If you worked until after midnight, you got taken home in the staff people carrier/taxi (the night porter - it was a hotel - drove people in 2 or 3 carloads.)
It was good experience of being an adult, and having to manage myself.
If it helps, I also lived very near a (then heavily populated) Forces base. It got a bit fighty every second Wednesday, when they got paid, but I only worked that late in the week, when it was the holidays....
I'd get her to ask about what scheme they use to ensure safety of workers getting home. Assume there is one, rather than be apologetic about it.

Ask her if she could 'buddy up?' leave at the same time as co-worker that will be on the same bus? This is the safest way as she will not be alone

Since it would be the DD who was making the journey and the money, your judgment on whether it’s worthwhile isn’t really relevant, only hers is.

I read your update OP, fair enough you've made your decision, but i feel you are wrong. By saying she can't get a nightbus home when sober after honest work you are also saying she cannot get the bus home after being out clubbing or socialising. So you are effectively saying a young adult is not allowed by her parents to go to the city unless her Dad comes to collect her. Poor DD.

She needs to learn to drive as a priority. I don’t know why we don’t teach it as a skill in school.

Good point. Perhaps I've worked in the public sector first too long where we answer anything and everything.

If the op framed it as "I would like to enquire about your policy for ensuring staff leaving the premises in the early hours of the morning please as I am considering applying for a position with your company but I don't drive and wonder how I would get home" she may or may not get an answer.

Tbh whether it's bus or car, I think a 40 to 50 minute journey home at 2am is a bit much for a part time minimum wage job.

I would look into how much an uber would cost and whether it's worth it for her to pay that from what she earns working until 2am.
You could also just get the night bus home with her one time to see what it's actually like, she might decide she wouldn't feel comfortable anyway or you might both think it's better than you feared

Sadly true, didn't realise. sorry

@RentalWoesNotFun

Perhaps OP you should email Wetherspoons and ask what their plans are to ensure staff leaving in the early hours get home safely.

Why do you think they would reply to a random person asking this?

for a 40-50 minute journey at 2am on a weekend, probably more than she would earn for the whole shift

Free taxis home when there is an available alternative would ordinarily be considered a benefit. Nothing about OP’s DD’s case that she’s mentioned would indicate it falls into an extraordinary category. There should probably be an alternative she can rely on if the bus doesn’t turn up or if the police issue guidance that women should be careful in the area after 10 pm or something. But going home late at night on the bus is an ordinary activity that lots of women undertake.

OP she’s 18 and it’s really up to her.

If you’ve moved to a place where she can’t get other work, you aren’t prepared to go pick her up at 2 am and you aren’t prepared to give her the money she’s missing out on I think it’s pretty reprehensible of you to try and stop her legally earning money.

Not necessarily.

If there is public transport available then they will not be obliged to pay for a taxi, and any such payment would almost certainly be a taxable benefit.

Do some googling.

This is just one of many links with legal advice:

https://www.streetsweb.co.uk/about/news/2024/jul/2/late-night-taxi-for-an-employee/

There is no specific requirement for employers to provide employees with transport home. Nevertheless, an employer has a duty of care to their employees, which means that they should take all steps which are reasonably possible to ensure their health, safety and wellbeing.

Ensuring that an employee gets safely home during unsocial working hours could fall within the employer's 'duty of care'. Often in these situations an employer will pay for a late night taxi for an employee to travel home from work. This can also happen where there is a breakdown in a car sharing arrangement.

If the OP is concerned this is what she should focus on.

There is a legal responsibility. I remember the court case.

@RedToothBrush

I get that some employers get their staff a cab home, which is great, but the previous poster who said about it inferred they have a duty of care to do so!

That won't happen in this case as they live too far from work!

Similar situation here op though my DD is in the year above and is a fresher at uni. After the first week of her walking a mile at 3am to wait for a bus I've managed to convince her to get an Uber and I go halves with her. I told her it wasn't a matter of if but when something bad happened to her, which I strongly believe to be true sadly

This is a thing. Employer do late night taxis.

I am being realistic. In Glasgow a club gets taxis home for their staff. Or at least they used to. That's how I know about the phrase duty of care.

One of the women I went out with told me that they looked after their staff, as her daughter worked there, and I asked the question about how she got home and she said the pub got groups of staff going the same direction home into a pre-booked taxi and dropped the girls off one by one.

I don't know how long they had to wait for a taxi only that it did happen. It wasn't Wetherspoons though.

Perhaps OP you should email Wetherspoons and ask what their plans are to ensure staff leaving in the early hours get home safely. Then you'll have your answer. Use an email address that doesn't have the same surname your daughter has though!!

Oh come on. Be realistic!

And if that was the case they would only give the jobs to staff who lived nearby so that taxis are cheaper!