Sorry, posting here because there is more traffic.
DS1(18) had a casual Christmas weekend job at a garden centre selling Christmas trees. He worked really, really hard, made a really good impression and was told they'd call him if they had any work in the Spring.
About 10 days ago, the manager phoned and asked DS if he wanted some more weekend work, DS said he'd really like that and arranged to go in last Sunday for the training he'd need to start today. He didn't do the training, he did customer service instead.
Today, he turned up to make up the seed trays as that was what his job was. He had to put the compost into those little sections of the trays they sell bedding plants in, it had to be level and there had to be no compost on any parts of the tray. He had to fill industrial sized pallets of trays for which he would get paid £7 each. The manager told him the most anyone had ever done was 6 in a day, once they were skilled a bit. He wasn't told this last week when he went, so assumed it would be minimum wage as that was what it was at Christmas.
As he really wants a some money, and isn't afraid of hard work he got on with it. At lunchtime the manager came down and had a go at him because the compost wasn't level and there was some on other parts of the trays! (Bear in mind they have yet to plant the bloody plants in them!) He made DS1 do one of the pallets again, and accused DS of only being there for the money and not giving a shit!
DS1 managed to get 3 pallets done today which has meant he has earnt £2.83 an hour! He isn't going back next week. We, nor he, have any issue with work, but feel like they are taking the piss, TBH. We've looked at this link and it would appear they have used their best ever performer to work out how much they think is fair! Does anyone know if it is legal to do that?
To add insult to injury, at Christmas DS worked until 5.30 on a Saturday, so emerged from his shed at 5.30 tonight to find the car locked in the car park, and when he tried the gate the bloody alarm went off. The owner lives near by and came back with his wife, who bleated he was missing his tea and his wife had a go at DS for keeping his head down and working rather than asking if the opening hours were still the same!