Furious with what happened to DS17 on his last day of work

That's like the striped paint or long wait, that's been around for years.

My son and I have coeliac disease, if this happened to one of us and we got flour in our mouth (which I'm sure we would if it was being lobbed and in the air!) then we would be extremely ill.

Then there are people who have allergies to things like eggs. For a long time when my son was little, even touching milk brought him out in hives. I knew a 60 year old woman who was the same, couldn't even get a drop on her.

So no, I don't think it's fun and games at all. And I bloody would go and say something about it - he maybe a big boy now, but he's still legally a child, and their behaviour could end up genuinely causing physical harm in the future.

I think it's disgraceful, and I don't care if that makes me a spoilsport.

I would encourage DS to text a colleague and casually ask if they could send him the footage they took, then decide next steps from there.

Ive only read a couple of pages OP

Its hugely immature and very '6th form', its the sort of thing middle class/upper class uni types get up to in my view (is he going to uni? expect it to happen)

Dont follow this up unless he changes his mind.

Apart from the basic health and safety laws broken. What was done was also criminal

They tied a child up and threw stuff at him and humiliated him

I would at the very least get a solicitor to write to the management a letter about what they did and what laws were broken (house insurance usually covers employment law especially as your DS is considered a minor)

I am surprised this still goes on! When I left my waitress job in the late 80s I was dunked in the filthy pot sink. And when I left Bognor butlins in 1991 I was marched around the site and then thrown in the boating lake! It was all in good fun at the time, I thought it was a laugh! I do remember some people at Butlins got disciplined for it though. I wouldn’t do anything if that’s what your son wants, I certainly wouldn’t waste police time over it unless he has been injured.

What the bloody fuck would they do if the victim had an allergic reaction!?

I worked in a bakery dept of a very well known supermarket from 15-18, I was a Saturday girl and when it was a bakers birthday they would be stripped of their whites and have a rolling pin covered in flour and seeds rubbed between their legs and flour thrown at them. Fortunately is was late 80s/early 90s so social media wasn’t a thing. But it was a ‘thing’.

YANBU- I feel genuinely shocked and stunned reading this, that’s disgusting what they did to your son. Completely unprofessional and uncalled for. I’d suggest he reports it to the police. Really sorry for you both 💐

He was tied up and The OWNER was flming it.. no doubt to put it on social media. That would settle it for me. Report them.

It was assault of a minor. That is a legitimate non-emergency police matter if the victim wants to report it.

Food stuffs aren't benign, lots of people have severe allergies to food

Has the video been posted? You should firstly save a copy for any future complaint and secondly report to platforms to get it taken down.

What would happen if you report it? Who do you complain to, who do you tell?

This happened in my school in the 90s too. Sometimes also on people's birthday their friends would do this to them too (usually the 'well 'ard' kids). I've never known it happen in a workplace!

When I left my saturday job at 17 the other staff brought me a coffee pot and a set of mugs.

I’d actually phone the police this is abusive - if people don’t say anything this horrendous behaviour will carry on

This happened to me in the late 1980s - leaving my Saturday job during 6th form to go to Uni.
I wasn't tied up, and it wasn't filmed (no camera phones then thank god) and it didn't upset me. They just egg & floured me as I was walking out the door. I admit I found it funny, it was all done as a massive lark. Felt more sorry for the cleaners.
I'm surprised it's still done in this day and age tbh. Has he seen it done to other leaving employees?
I wouldn't do anything if he has asked you not to.

It’s ridiculous and childish but of course you can’t go storming in, especially when DS has said not to.

I worked in a multinational company once where at the Christmas party anyone new ‘had to’ have tequila poured in their mouth from a communal bottle and if they said no, squirty cream in their mouth face.
I remember taking the waiter to one side and saying I was pregnant (I wasn’t) so please pass me by.
I got the cold shoulder until the holidays. It was ridiculous.

The most messed up bit is how many people think this is ok. WTAF!

Will it be helpful to your son to have a reference from this place? If so, keep quiet.

A lot of behaviour that was once considered acceptable is no longer tolerated - just watch any TV show from the 70s or 80s to see the blatant sexism, racism etc. that was so casually bandied about. This "tradition" smacks very much of that era - and should be left there. It has no place in modern-day society.

Your “brain dead” family members are, fortunately, not representative of all men in trades.

My DH has a construction company and would be horrified if this was done to any of his lads. It is absolutely gross misconduct.

Your poor son OP, I hope he’s okay.

One of my younger relatives worked in a place where she was warned by a colleague of a stupid custom. Her workmates would gather around, sing a stupid song, and throw tea, coffee and food. She was leaving to go to uni and decided she was not interested in being humiliated.. She foiled them by simply staying away on her last day. I'm surprised other people don't think of this because once you have left you have left. The company can send any paperwork by mail.

Good idea
Most police forces are at a loose end at the moment