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?

Why is it ridiculous ?

I agree that’s highly likely, but unless you’ve read it, you don’t know!
some employers liability insurances cover work experiences from certain ages upwards.

OP needs to ask the question or no one will ever know!

At least I'm not indulging in hysterical rantings unlike yourself.

OP would not be liable for any accident or injury unless they can prove negligence on her part.

Thankfully the tradespeople I employ are more professional than your DP and would cancel that day's work before rocking up with a toddler. Winner!

It would not cover a minor operating plant, she does not have a driving licence! I know 100% you cannot insure a 12 year old to operate site plant, what she is doing is illegal.

Thank god half the people on here do not work within the construction industry if they think that a 12 year old operating heavy plant is acceptable! Bloody hell. Please stay away.

I assume you don’t work within the construction industry with your stupid, and frankly, dangerous opinion.
There is a reason there are strict health and safety regulations including age requirements and licences for operating plant!

Not if she’s not qualified and licensed to operate that particular piece of machinery it won’t.

Imo it takes a bloody village! Op won't get in trouble with anyone as she's not insuring them for goodness sake!

We had quite a lots of building work done on our house. Sometimes builders bought their teenage kids for a day here and there. We had outside rendered and the plasterer bought his 8 year old son with him for about 6 days last summer. It was super hot but he just hung out in the garden. I did offer for him to come in to watch tv but he declined but did accept ice lollies.

I wouldn’t mind at all if it was my driveway and I’d quite enjoy watching them have fun with the digger, as long as they weren’t being dangerous and you’d plaid a fixed price!

Op would be liable if anything went wrong though and things do go wrong....unfortunately.

Really? People think it’s ok for a
contractor to bring his child to work? It’s irrelevant that she’s learning how to do the job, the OP is not paying the contractor to train his daughter on her time and her premises.

OP, tell him you don’t have insurance for accidents on your property and therefore you would rather she didn’t come with him.

It’s safe and legal for her to be left at home.
it sounds like her mother is WFH and doesn’t rent her around. Not your problem.

I don't think the OP would be liable. The builder will be self employed and will (should!) have employer's liability insurance that should cover him if anyone is injured or otherwise disadvantaged by his work. However he will need to comply with the small print, which is likely to exclude recklessness such as allowing his child onto a construction site.

Agree with some of what you said but the op would also be liable if something happened .

Still unprofessional

They didn’t need much childminding as they were about the same age as DS2 and very well behaved. He didn’t presume they could come - he asked about flexible times as he’d need to look after his DC two days a week for a few weeks to the summer. I said why not bring them here after school.

He was an excellent builder - a real craftsmen, according to FIL who knows his stuff. I sat in the garden marking while they played. No problem at all.

DH and I believe in hanging on to good workmen - ours get loads of good tea/coffee and biscuits, occasionally cakes/ ice creams etc. As a result, we never have a problem getting our plasterer, electrician and builder back to do jobs.

I always paid higher than requested babysitting rates to nursery staff plus taxi fare home. As a result, we never had a problem getting a sitter.

Good workmen are in demand - it’s common sense to look after them.

Fair enough, sounds like everyone was happy. Good builders are worth hanging on to!

Is that ‘it takes a village’ as in ‘women should #bekind and willing to offer ad hoc childcare services whenever the need arises, regardless of any inconvenience to themselves’, by any chance? Because it’s funny how often ‘it takes a village’ turns out to mean exactly that.

I’d be concerned about the insurance situation - if she had an accident on your property, who would be responsible?

Of course. It's illegal and the op and the contractor would be liable if an accident was to happen. I would be looking elsewhere as the contractor is obviously foolish and totally regardless .

Do the builder and his daughter have a bath in your house? Or do they just want to use your toilet?

What? Have you read the post?
Something should be done about posters who haven't read the post. This happens a lot! Maybe they're reading on an app or something but so many come on a post who don't seem to have gotten the full thread. It's beyond frustrating!

I'd expect anyone bringing toddlers to building sites to text the owner and give them the option of a no show, it's certainly what I would have chosen. It's great to see men doing their fair share, he could have stayed at home doing it.