My 18 year old hasn't been paid for her summer job.

Call ACAS. They can advise and provide Early Conciliation.

Report them HMRC regardless of whether she'll get paid or not. Bet they won't have paid her taxes even if they're deducted.

Not necessarily unless dd was left on her own, unsupervised, with children. DBS is good practice rather than mandatory if not.

@Espana12 your dd needs to send a formal letter, outlining hours worked and the text agreement. Was it nmw, if so does this breach the regulations around that as well as HMRC for tax and ni. She should be paid for any untaken accrued leave too.

Go there with your DD and demand her back pay. I would speak calmly but clearly and I would become increasingly loud if she prevaricates. Personally I’d tell her that it won’t go well for her business if she doesn’t hand over money/transfer it there and then.

I read a post on a thread a while ago where, if I remember correctly, a DM phoned up, said she would be calling in at reception and the money had better be there, and when they arrived, it was. Don’t wait any longer - she is hoping your DD will drop it.

Did your DD have a DBS? If she didn't they could be in huge safeguarding trouble. It may be something to hold over their heads.

Doesn't the Employment Tribunal have at least an 18-month waiting list?

No - use an Employment Tribunal it's cheaper and very effective at ordering wages to.be paid, and enforceable.

My son was about 16 when he had the same issue, as a pot wash in a local pub. In the end my partner (his stepdad) went in and politely brought this up in the busy bar with the landlord, in front of customers. Funnily enough he got my son's wages in cash there and then! My son quite the job the next day.

It’s not modern slavery, it’s labour exploitation, huge difference as you should know by the penalty. Modern slavery is control of movement, debt bondage, removing documents. Labour exploitation is not paying NMW, holiday pay, lack of contracts, fraud by deception etc.

Please dont threaten to report, and then not follow through, even if DD is eventually paid. And I hope she is. There is no way this business is legit. Tax authorities, LA, parents and other prospective job applicants need to know.

Phone them tomorrow. If they don’t pick up phone from your phone.
If they don’t pick up then I’d go in yourself next week and ask what’s going on infront of the the customers.

She can also text to say if the money isn’t in her bank within 24 hours she’ll be contacting Ava’s and HMRC and then going via small claims.

Text is writing

I bet the business owner is also dodgy with HMRC.

Personally I'd go on FB local pages, trust pilot, anywhere that free and calmly state that your daughter worked for them. They are not returning calls and she's owed wages

I would also contact any local paper about it and I would also stand outside the premises on the pavement and hold a sign stating what happened.

But first I'd go in and ask for the money face to face...then do the above if I didn't leave with it in cash

Let her try to sort herself first but if not, you go in with her to speak to the owner & if no luck just ring ACAS as they will help with something like this. It’s also a breach of national minimum wage regs which means HMRC who check on compliance with NMW would help to resolve it as well plus put them on the name & shame list

I imagine they’ll pay up if you raise the various dodgy practices that have happened. There is no way she should have people in a childcare setting without the appropriate checks.

It’s also illegal for a business to not pay wages. Employment rights act. I would step in on her behalf and tell them this. Acas will help if needed.

surely if they haven’t asked for NI number they’re being dodgy and not paying employer NI contribution, etc? 🤷‍♀️. I’d also threaten to report them for this!

www.acas.org.uk/if-your-wages-are-not-paid

Did they ask for her national insurance number ID and did she have a DBS check as working with children.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pay-and-work-rights-complaints

Report it. There's no way this has not happened before.

I’d step in now and contact the business owner myself. I’d also give my DD a ‘loan’ of her wages (but I appreciate this isn’t something everyone could do or even want to do )

I wouldn’t mess around though. One message / call / visit from you and then straight to legal action

Look the business up on companies house also out of interest

OP I definitely would be stepping in and requesting a phone call with the employer.

And tbh even after she's paid up I'd still plaster it on local FB page as how can she be working with children without proper DBS checks.

Dd needs to text saying "hi, just in case it got lost, i'm awaiting £xyz for my shifts of xyz hours from xyz dates.
My bank details are here as follows. I can come tonight or tomorrow to collect cash, what is better?"

if no response
"Further to my correspondence on xyz date, as I've still not received any information from you I will upload my experience with your business to our local Facebook groups and the police."

Though it is DBS now. But agreed, it is illegal for an adult to work directly with children or vulnerable adults without an up to date enhanced DBS check.