to think if they won't pay after a certain time, he shouldn't work!

[upahill]

My DS has a part time job. He is nearly 15 and it is a packing job two nights a week.

He works 6pm until 10.00pm. I'm happy for him to do this but last two or shifts he has been coming in at 10.25pm. We live 1 minute from the place of work.

I said to him last night why are you late and he said that it was really busy. Fair enough. I said so are they paying you extra and he said that they weren't as they can't pay him after 10.00pm.

I then said ' so basically, they want you to work for nothing. How come? You are not a voluntary worker and over two nights you have worked for nearly an hour for free. Don't you think that is taking advantage of you?'
He said he has to stop there until all the packing is finished.

My point was then, if you are working as hard as you can and doing everything that is expected (and there are no complaints from the work place, they say he is doing alright) then they are either giving him too much or they should pay him the extra or he should go in later on the next shift.

As teenagers do he was getting a bit touchy and defensive at what he percieved as critisism.

I have said you have to learn to speak up for your self in the work place with out coming across as bolshy otherwise you will be put upon for ever!

What do people think and was I being UR to say this? Also what do you think should happen next?

If he is getting a bit of extra money for the overtime after all and it is a small firm who otherwise treat him well, I think you should let him carry on unless he is so tired that it is making him hopeless in the morning or interfering with his schoolwork.Employment laws are there for the employee's protection but when employer and employee have respect for one another, it's fine to bend and break them.

Why is it better to get up at the crack of dawn to do a paper round than to work for a few hours after tea and before bedtime instead of watching tele?

Let him stay. Use your own and his gut instinct. He's happier, thriving and, by the sounds of it, a great lad doing well at school. I'd ignore the law. Breaking it is teaching him more than following it. That sometimes happens in life.

I don't know what the law is now but I started working in my parents' business when I was 13, with my head teacher's signed permission. At that time you could start work younger if it was for family, no idea what the rules are now.

I worked 7-10.5 hours every Saturday from 13, also, from 14 I worked full time hours (35-42 per week) in school/college/university holidays, sometimes more if circumstances required.

I don't think it did me any harm. It probably prevented me from more harm than it did me!

Eversoft
I get what you are saying but we are talking about a lad who wants to work bloody hard, has the motivation to do so.

I have had him in bed at before 10 in the past and he just tosses and turns and doesn't settle.
Did you not read my comment about how he is thriving now and doing him the world of good in all areas of his life?

On the nights that he isn't working we normally watch the News at 10 together and regional news anyway.

What razzlebathbone said :o

I think you should let him continue upahill, he loves it, he's earning some money, all positive stuff. Just keep an eye on tiredness / check they don't start taking the pee. But it sounds fine TBH.

Let him do it

Sardine I was thinking about it tbh.

THis morning it occured to me that DS is a couple of months of 15. MY mum and dad finished school and where expected to be working full tiime at 15.

It is only 2 nights.

(sigh....wish I didn't know about this employment law now )

You can ignore the law but in doing so have to remember that if your son has an accident at work he is not covered by the companies insurance and they can be sued by the Health & Safety Executive.

If you are confident he will not have an accident ever at work then fair do's the choice is yours.

I was thinking that Fabby.
He is not near any machinery or doing any lifting. There are no moving vehicles. All he is doing is following an order sheet and putting consumable items in a small box amd making up custmer orders for when the wagon comes at 2.00am, long after he has gone home of course.
It is a simple packing job. He comes home happy saying what they have been listening to on the radio and what they have been chatting about. It seems a shame to let it go especially as he is taking pride in how much is going into his bank account every Friday after school when he nips into town to bank his money.