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, I took my 84 year old mum for an X ray last week, the radiographer invited me to stay in the room behind the screen.

Me being me I said can I have a go, and she let me take the side aspect image, showing me what voltage / current / time etc to select - great fun!!

Come on OP, you (presumably) have a vagina, therefore you should be providing free childcare for your builder.
Invite the child in, make cupcakes with her and maybe some craft activities.
I am sure you have nothing better to do, but do be sure to keep the noise down in case you disturb your husband while he WFH

@RynNOTerine you cannot be serious. Taking a toddler on a job. I would be knocking £65 off the payment I was making for the job per day as child care fees (£65 per day is the going day nursery rate here). I am not a nursery or child minder. I would be telling everyone that a child accompanied the job and to negotiate a hefty discount.

As someone who is self employed and has a self employed husband, childcare is your problem to sort. Holidays are not sprung on you unexpectedly. Every competent self employed person has a diary and therefore (outside of a terrible family emergency or illness) there should be absolutely no reason for children to be coming to jobs. Even is there is a family emergency or illness, you telephone the client, inform them about the childcare situation and give them the option to reschedule or explain the job will need to be pushed back for x time. You do not just rock up with a toddler/ child and expect clients to be fine about it.

@BlueRidgeMountain is absolutely spot on about other professions.

Can you imagine turning up to your smear and the HCP saying, "oh sorry, I couldn't get childcare for my kid, you don't mind if my kid sits in on this appointment? Oh sorry, Tommy's a bit bored (he's only 12), I'll just let him gawp at your minge and play with the light for a bit of entertainment. Oh and he's played with all the speculums and quite fancies a go with the little cervix brush. It's either let him be in on this appointment or you can reschedule for 3 months time.

Go and tell him you're not happy, and the kid can't step foot on your property.

I wouldn't be too bothered about her operating the digger under dad's supervision. The concern (imo) is that there are potential insurance liabilities if she had an accident. I would ask the builder in a low key kind of way if his insurance covered his daughter using equipment. And if he says no, tell him that your insurance doesn't cover her either, so for everyone's sake it would be best if she didn't use it.

I mean she’s getting work experience, surely to be encouraged?

What else do you think she should be allowed to do to gain work experience? Drive the van?

(I'd have no problem with a 12/13 yo filling shelves in a corner shop, or clearing tables in a cafe, both well within their capabilities, and earning a bit of cash in hand, but not operating machinery.)

I'd be really worried about her safety and your legal vulnerability. Can you do a bit of research and try to find out where you and he stand legally? Then you can approach him from this point of view, rather than just saying you don't like it or whatever.

You have no idea what he did as I haven't told you, so go ahead and make whatever assumptions you want.

😁😁
I had to look it up!!
Not using the foreigner card or anything but english isn't my first language.
Dug up dug up dug up

Don’t be RIDICULOUS, why should the OP be providing childcare and entertainment for someone she employed to do a job!

I’ve renovated several houses, and none of the builders I’ve worked with have ever brought their children to the job site. The only exception was a painter who, falling behind schedule, brought her young teenage kids to help. Unfortunately, that didn’t go well they damaged wooden floors and over-sanded detailed units.

Agreed, I would have no issue with this and admire the fact she’s learning on the job and a father and daughter are enjoying spending time together whilst doing so. Better than most parenting we see now.

No he shouldn’t have brought the kid. Then he’s letting her work the digger on a job he’s been paid to do? Piss take.

Good on you. It’s so important raising children with life skills that are dying out!

"we do not consent to an under 16 being within the bounds of our property at any point" - Is that a thing, consenting to different age groups being on your property? Will you be checking id?

Having a child working on your property is a different issue and I would have concerns about that. What if she has an accident?

Maybe not illegal but certainly doesn't sound like any insurance terms are being met. No insurance allows you to take your child with you to site in construction If theres an accident or serious damage ... no insurance will be interested including ops!!

If you want the job done and done well. Keep your mouth shut.

my kids go with their dad to work. Granted it’s not at peoples houses. They have practical skills their peers are lacking. Many of dh’s tradesman friends take their kids to work in the holidays from 11 upwards really, they earn a bit of pocket money and the business they may or may not go into. As long as they are supervised it’s a win win for all involved.

I will clarify again, he's not bringing his daughter to work because she wants to learn the trade. She got on the digger not to learn some skills, but to have a play around. He recorded her while doing so, so it's not like he got on with his job while she was doing another job. The two of them were essentially playing. This isn't on for 5/10 minutes, it was a whole afternoon on and off.

In no way would any kind of liability fall on the OP, so that’s a non-issue. No his insurance might not cover him, but I doubt there is much damage could happen digging up a driveway to relay it. Even if it DID, the liability is on the builder.

A private driveway being relayed is not a construction site.

Its not illegal for a 12 year old to operate a mini digger.

It is illegal for a 12 year old to be “employed” but I don’t imagine that she is.

So, unless the job is somehow being delayed or costing the OP more, I really don’t understand what the “issue” is?

how is operating it not learning a skill?

how do you know all that detail from watching out your window?

I actually think letting her have a play around instead of properly digging up your drive was actually a sensible thing for him to do!

…what?! What CF entitlement is this?!

Workmen often bring their children for work experience. It has never occurred to me to mind. Using a digger to dig up a drive isn’t exactly high skilled or particularly dangerous. People are so unbelievably risk averse on here.

Tell him you want it done by the deadline and leave him to it.

I'd be unhappy as he's wasting working time entertaining and filming his daughter when he's supposed to be focused on getting the work done on your property. And taking extra 'breaks' to entertain and sort his daughter.

That is the bottom line

OP ensured that her own children were occupied during working hours so she and her husband can continue to work themselves, but people on here are outraged that she's not entertaining his daughter for him? Why wasn't he expected to sort childcare so he can work properly, too?

Me neither. You see outdoor tradie and farmer dads taking kids (usually sons) to work for pocket money all the time. My dc could drive a multitude of light farm machinery as soon as their feet could touch the pedals. We were a bit more discreet to only do it on our own property, however.