Builder brings 12 year old daughter to work

[TinyBuddhettes]

Childcare issues, I get it. This contractor/builder guy is doing up our drive. His daughter mostly stays in his van but yesterday I could see that she was operating the mini digger while he was recording her. This wasn't just a couple of minutes for a photo, it went on for maybe an hour. The two of them were frolicking and being quite stupid really. I was in disbelief watching from inside the house. Our drive is now all digged up and I don't want any awkwardness or the potential of him not finishing the job. Anyone know where we stand with the law? Can we say that from a legal point of view we do not consent to an under 16 being withing the bounds of our property at any point?

Well aren’t you a joy to work for…

Its not all the time, in fact its first time its ever happened. He was called to a job as an emergency and had to take her just for 2 hours and then her Nana came for her. He explained this to the customer and they were more than happy to take her to see their dog etc. I just think its lovely and so understanding that sometimes these things happen and it can't be helped! X

Well they were entertaining her!

Surely from a safety point of view this is very questionable? Has he done a risk assessment? Is he insured to bring her with him? If she's operating machinery with him is this even legal? Honestly I don't know but it does seem very dodgy.

By choice, not because he expected them to. It was for 2 hours as he was called there as an emergency so had her with him - resulting in her having to waiting for her Nana to come and collect her. She was sat in the van on her iPad initially and they were very nice and said "get her out she doesn't have to sit in there" 😊 very nice and understanding people, not like half of the ones on here!

What could he have done if the customer had not been available to look after your daughter. He couldn’t have done his job with a two year old wandering around the place

If you're paying someone for a professional service it isn't joyless to expect them to do the job without bringing small children.

The clients were ok with it and your fella asked in advance, that's fine but OP's guy didn't ask, he just turned up with the kid and let her fuck around on OP's property while he filmed it. Big difference.

Yes he could - because she was sat in his van on her iPad whilst he had to go there to sort something as an emergency! The customer did not look after her and nor did he expect them to. She was happy sat in the can on her tablet with snacks! They came out and said get her out she doesnt have to sit in there! Lovely people 😊* *

Your partner knew it would be a few hours before someone could collect your 2 year old child, and he thought it would be acceptable to leave her in his work van for several hours while he carried out some work for a customer?

Of course the customers took pity on the poor child. Why didn't he just explain to the customer that he would be able to attend, but not until he had dropped his daughter off with a relative?

Your husband left your two year old daughter alone in his van with an iPad while he went into a house to work? Yes, of course he did

🚤 🦈

Nope see this is where youre all assuming - he was called there as an emergency. What was supposed to be a 10 minute job turned into a couple of hours actually due to another contractor on site causing a problem. I may be a first time Mum but I am NOT that simple that my daughter would be sat in a van for hours whilst he worked. Don't be so ridiculous and condescending.

No - are you?

Would you be saying the same if it was a boy on the digger. If he's on a price I can't see the issue, just be clear it's his responsibility to ensure site safety maybe by email or message for your records. Kid's get involved In many family businesses and usually turn into practical useful young adults.

I will break it down

Called there as an emergency was supposed to be a 10 min fix on his way to drop her off elsehwere - Customer is outside on the drive when he arrives as the job is outside. Partner gets out, stands by his van talking to said customer. Said customer says she will take my daughter to see her dog. Off they go... what was supposed to be 10 mins turned to a couple of hours resulting in Nana coming to collect daughter. As if he would leave her in van for hours with an iPad! 🤦🏽‍♀️

What, you think it’s OK for a tradesperson to get less work done because they’re messing about with their child?

My Dad was a builder and we often went to work with him in the holidays, I don’t recall any issues. I think it’s fairly common, you wouldn’t be unreasonable to ask him not to though.

The issue you’ll have if you say anything is that he could just walk away. When we started renovating our first house our neighbours shouted at the builders as they hit a shared pipe and they just never came back.

Oh my word, I'd have loved to go to work and operate a mini digger with my dad when I was a kid!
Personally I have no issues with it but I'm GenX, grew up without Health and Safety, and went into the construction industry in the early 90's where I was always the only female on site, so I do have a warped view of what's safe!

People are bizarre, why not cook her dinner too and do bathtime before she goes home. Bonkers!

Totally agree. We need to u sweets d that working people are parents too and sometimes need to combine the two. I’d be happy entertaining a child anytime.

Nope but clearly you are judging but your ridiculous comment

But she’s not sitting with him at work, she’s messing around on a digger, a piece of machinery that could potentially kill someone!

It's more than fine it's a great example to set and more men should do this. I had no appreciation for how physically hard a builder worked until I spent a day on site helping lay a drive. 12 us a great age to learn how hard dad works. It sounds like he is a fantastic dad and we definitely need more of those. I doubt you are paying him a day rate so if the job takes a couple of hours longer that's on him.

And a 12 year old is fine on a digger they really aren't rocket science to operate.

Not the point. At all. It’s on OP’s land. She’s not paying the contractor to teach his daughter how to use a digger, she’s paying for him to complete the work agreed in the contract. And unless he can provide proof that he has contractors’ insurance which would cover his daughter, so that OP is not liable for any accident or injury while on her property, she shouldn’t be allowing it.