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

In the UK, for an employer to give a bad reference they must be able to prove any negative claims with evidence, like warning letters or disciplinary records. They can't give a former employee a bad reference just because someone complained about the former employee being assaulted.

Are you joking? Who would want a reference from those idiots? Her son is 17 and needs guided and to know it isn't okay and this behaviour absolutely needs reported. At 17, I'd have said the same thing, but hope to god my parents would have sat me down and told me it is wrong, nothing to he embarrassed of, and made it clear it needed reported. I would have felt validated and heard. Op's son won't see these people again.

When things like this are swept under the carpet it leads to repeated behaviour and risk of escalation. The filming and the tying up take this above and beyond a simple work prank.

Filming it??? You need to get the police involved. They've assaulted a child.

That’s really weird…
I’d be contacting the police to make a formal complaint. It’s assault, and the fact that he was tied up (did you say?) and filmed makes it all the more sinister. Your son’s a minor, and I think you have to override his wishes on this occasion. Such a shame that his first experience of work, which he’d enjoyed, had to be tainted by such twattish behaviour.

It's awful behaviour and totally unacceptable, but your sons wishes are more important. He may need a reference from them for future job so best not risk stirring it up for him with it being treated as a grievance made on his behalf.

I worked on a farm in Scotland 35 years ago where you got a doing on your birthday, which involved getting dipped in a water trough and then getting whatever was to hand thrown at you (usually woodshavings, but could be eggs and flour if anyone was organised enough to remember to bring them). To be fair, we were all wearing boiler suits which the company was responsible for washing every week, and the people doing the dunking and throwing got as wet and filthy as the birthday person. Even the manager got a doing. The trick was not to let anyone know when your birthday was.

This is so messed up. Adult men tied up a child and assaulted him. Of course your son feels embarrassed but that doesn't mean the culprits should get away with it. Was your son sent the video that was made by the employers who attacked him? It should be sent to the police. Absolutely disgusting criminal behaviour and they should be fucking ashamed of themselves.

It happened in place ai used to work at in the early 2000s, you'd get covered in the slops from the pints behind the bar. As his Mum, I really wouldn't go and complain if I were you, I'd teach him to stand up for himself.

Once read of a court case where the factory owners allowed high pressure airguns to be used for stupid hazing. Some unfortunate victim had to have a colostomy as a result of their hence the court case. Hull County Court

https://www.google.com/search?q=court+case+high+pressure+air+gun+colostomy&client=ms-android-motorola-rvo3&hs=5FrV&sca_esv=281fd5caffd4d782&biw=411&bih=772&sxsrf=APpeQnsyEIg7V9c_0Fv4SXaMtXETjrFIXg%3A1787865652220&ei=NKqQaqaDDfeehbIP8Pzb6AU&oq=court+case+high+pressure+air+gun+colostomy&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIipjb3VydCBjYXNlIGhpZ2ggcHJlc3N1cmUgYWlyIGd1biBjb2xvc3RvbXlIpkpQthhYy0VwAHgAkAEAmAHDAaAB8A2qAQQwLjExuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIIoAKuCsICCBAAGO8FGLADwgILEAAYiQUYogQYsAPCAgUQIRigAcICBRAhGJ8FwgIEECEYFcICBBAeGAqYAwCIBgGQBgSSBwMwLjigB_IUsgcDMC44uAeuCsIHBzAuNC4xLjPIByyACAE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp#lfId=ChxjMe

I would thing anyone who placed apprenticeships there would want to know. Maybe let time pass, son move on to next thing then contact ? Local colleges to make them aware there is a cultural problem at that firm

Like so many others have said I think this is unacceptable

And to the posters who think it’s harmless fun, you are seriously fucked.

Imagine if this was a girl….absolutely would not be condoned. And should be no different for a boy.

We all know not to touch / film without consent now. No excuses.

It's assault. Log it with the police. This is completely unacceptable. How would one of those Tradesmen like it, if their daughter's were tied up and humiliated? It would be a completely different story, if this happened to a woman. It shouldn't be a different story. Your son deserves justice. Protect his integrity and go to the police. Show him that this is not OK and it is not at all cowardly or embarrassing to stand up for yourself. Ask your son what he would do if it was his child - What would he do?

Awful, name and shame the company, your son is a child, tying him up and filming by seniors, WTAF….

This. Or if you worked in engineering you would be banged out by your colleagues rapping hammers on tables. But covering people in eggs, four etc is not good. I'm surprised the management allow it and common sense says let's not cover X in crap.

Filming makes it even worse. I absolutely would report this.

The owner filmed it? OK, so that is not a bit of harmless pranking. That is wrong. I would tell my son why it’s wrong, why I wouldn’t want it happening to anyone and then I would write to the owner and tell him exactly what I thought.

This. Hopefully they won’t do it again to someone else

This is just vile.
It's a tough one, but I wouldn't want my son to think this is ok.

It was a thing as a student nurse forty odd years ago that you got put in the bath on your last day on a ward.

That's dreadful. What a shit company. I hope your ds is ok. Nobody should be subjected to degrading and humiliating experiences like this in the workplace.

If the owner was complicit, there probably isn't much point in submitting a complaint. In that scenario, I would actually be inclined to make a complaint to the police. This is effectively assault.

Your poor boy.

Now that made me wince!

Go above the owners head if it is a franchise. Your ds has left and you don't need to tell him; just put in a formal complaint giving all of the details. You could even just say to ds what you're doing as it is something that needs addressed so that it doesn't keep happening. He has left so won't see them again anyway. It is better to teach your ds that this isn't okay, and it needs reporting to validate him and protect others.

That is disgusting doing that to anyone let alone a 17 year old. The filming is also really concerning. Really sorry this happened to your son op, and hope he's okay.

It’s dreadful OP and reporting it should be the right thing to do BUT your relationship with your son is more important and I think it would be better to be respectful of his wishes. Talk to him and let him know that what they did was wrong and they are idiots but don’t give it any more power by making it a bigger issue for him.

So embarrassing for a company to do this to people. How can they think it’s okay?! I wouldn’t go down though it won’t stop them doing it and it will embarrass DS, but they’re the ones that should be embarrassed for engaging in such nonsense. wtf.