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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that actually this was illegal and they wouldn't get away with it now?

41 replies

PalmaRossa · 10/03/2012 09:02

Years ago when I was a teenager I had a weekend job working in a clothing chain. Frequently if we were doing a stock take or the manager wanted any store re-arranging to be done, we would be locked in the store after work and the doors would remain locked until we had finished the job, with no one allowed out. This was in the days before mobile phones and obviously we weren't allowed to use the work phones.

I remember on one occasion I worked an extra day during college holidays to help with a stock take, and again we were locked in. My parents were away overnight and I was staying at home with my 15 year old sister, but I didn't actually get home until 2am despite my shift finishing at 9pm as we had all been locked in, and my sister was upset and worried that something had happened to me.

Of course, as a naive teenager I just accepted it but if one of my DCs had a job as a teenager that locked them in I would go absolutely ballistic and would probably cal the police. They wouldn't get away with it nowadays though would they?

OP posts:
iklboo · 10/03/2012 09:06

Nope. I used to work in excess of 50 hours a week for £40. In an office. Most of it was unpaid 'overtime' having to stay until the last of the deliveries went out. I wasn't supposed to phone home either but occasionally I managed to sneak a quick call when the manager was out on the floor. He was really surprised when I handed in my notice Hmm.

imnotmymum · 10/03/2012 09:08

But this matters now because ??

Original poster
PalmaRossa · 10/03/2012 09:09

I was talking about this with a friend yesterday when we were discussing her teenage DD's Saturday job. I'd long forgotten it actually.

OP posts:
Original poster
PalmaRossa · 10/03/2012 09:10

Oh no iklboo, was that a YTS job? I think in my first proper job I earnt something like £80 per week which I thought was piss poor, and it was really, but that was only for 35 hours per week and overtime was paid

OP posts:
EdithWeston · 10/03/2012 09:17

It was illegal, then and now.

It still happens: read about slavery in UK and what forced labour means. It's a largely hidden scandal, for people just don't believe that slavery still happens in Europe.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 10/03/2012 09:17

Imnotmymum, it's called a discussion Wink

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 10/03/2012 09:18

I know AIbU is usually for bun-fighting but sometimes they do happen

imnotmymum · 10/03/2012 09:18

Just wondered if it had left you with any underlying problems to bring up something that happened so long ago ??

Original poster
PalmaRossa · 10/03/2012 09:24

Do you never talk about anything from your past then, imnotmymum?

OP posts:
MrsChemist · 10/03/2012 09:25

I worked for a large retailers when I was 16 (9 years ago) and we were only paid until the shop closed, but still had to stay to stock the shelves. We just had to accept it. Once, someone had to leave bang on five and the manager kicked off big style, because how date someone leave when they stopped being paid.

Their excuse was that if you had worked harder then all jobs should be done by five, even though that really wasn't feasible.

In fact, similar happened in DH's last job. He'd be paid for half an hour after service, when it was almost impossible to clean up in less than an hour

imnotmymum · 10/03/2012 09:26

Not if it not relevant now, why would I ? Just wondering if it left her claustrophobic or anything and how it popped into her head on a Saturday morning.

iklboo · 10/03/2012 09:27

No, not YTS. Allegedly a proper job. Had an interview & everything.

StrandedBear · 10/03/2012 09:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CrunchyFrog · 10/03/2012 09:38

Still happens, or at least happened to DSis working for a large chain store about 2 years ago.

TreacleSoda · 10/03/2012 09:53

When I was a student I worked in a shop (one of the 'local' small stores of one of the big supermarket chains) and my shift was the Sunday one. They wouldn't allow us to put the heat on on the Sunday shift, to save money, and that particular winter was one of the coldest on record, and we weren't allowed to wear a cardigan or anything over our uniform, and the shift was 11 hours with just a 20 minute break. I remember my hands and feet being properly numb with the cold. I just look back on it now and think Shock. It was only in the 1990s, so not that long ago...I'm pretty sure it was illegal even then, but when you are young and don't want to make a fuss, you tend to put up with these things.

Also, we had to share uniforms and they were never washed

confusedpixie · 10/03/2012 10:12

It's still very common. Early last year I was working in a bar/restaurant and we'd only be paid for up to half hour after the bar officially closed. We were frequently there for a good hour or so later due to customers not getting kicked out on time! I know it's worse in other bars and restaurants though.But then their accommodation was a joke as well and became somewhat illegal after they got rid of one of their staff houses (planning to put 10+ of us in a building above the restaurant that was only licensed for 5!).

In fact this kind of thing is very common in seasonal jobs as it's usually people travelling who take them!

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 10/03/2012 11:03

imnotmymum - sorry I was a bit sarky, then Blush Thanks

imnotmymum · 10/03/2012 11:09

oooh flowers thank you Fanjo

Original poster
PalmaRossa · 10/03/2012 11:49

How do you know it wasn't relevant to anything, imnotmymum? It's not really up to you to say that something I brought up from the past wasn't relevant. I think you're being quite rude actually, why bother comment on a thread if you haven't got anything constructive to say?

OP posts:
Sarcalogos · 10/03/2012 11:58

Does all discussion have to be relevant to be interesting? Hmm there's a whole other thread we could do on that topic....

Anyway back to the original discussion...

Yes illegal. In one of my student jobs (allegedly I was there as a child care worker). I had to carry duvets covered in rat piss and worse from the carpark to the laundry (laundry not my job but they couldn't wouldn't ask housekeeping staff to do that). Then got a bollocking when I refused to carry them back when manager changed her mind half an hour later. At no point were gloves/aprons/any h+s mentioned or considered by anyone in charge.

I also had to nick extra uniform from the store (sack able offence) so I could wear something other than rat piss for the rest of the day.... Fortunately unfortunately didn't get caught!

leftmysociallifeatthedoor · 10/03/2012 12:15

In my first job i got paid 1.25 an hour, i thought i was rich :) was late 90s so not that long ago!

imnotmymum · 10/03/2012 13:45

Oh my god all I was saying was that I it relevent to now if she was affected by it and perhaps asking if she claiming compo or anything. How many times does a thread start with a statement and them op reveals another issue. I was not being rude but if came across that way op I apologise

dottyspotty2 · 10/03/2012 13:50

My first job I was paid 70p an hour

ChippyMinton · 10/03/2012 13:54

I worked in a chain restaurant in the 80s, where they provided shared taxis to take staff home. The taxis weren't ordered until all the waiting and kitchen staff had cleaned up, and everyone had to stay until the taxis arrived, even if you had your own transport or were being picked up. Very annoying.

lesley33 · 10/03/2012 13:55

Beforem minimum wage legislation, some jobs were shockingly low paid.