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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to think this is unfair and illegal?

115 replies

EverythingIsSoThrowback · 08/10/2013 19:34

This is what I think is unfair:
My DD1 is currently on work experience, she said that all she's been doing is cleaning for the past 3 days. Isn't this unfair? She's not really learning anything.
Also, the 'illegal'part. She's working 5 hours without a break, she's 15, so shouldn't she work 4 hours before a break?
Should I complain?

OP posts:
Original poster
EverythingIsSoThrowback · 08/10/2013 19:52

Probably should have put more of this information in my OP, sorry guys.

She said that all she's done is clean and on her first day she also filled some water buckets, and today she groomed a horse.

She was told she would mostly be observing (surgery), feeding/'watering', grooming, a bit of cleaning, don't remember the other things.
I do understand that obviously there are some restrictions to what she's doing, but she really wasn't meant to be doing just cleaning.

OP posts:
Twattyzombiebollocks · 08/10/2013 19:54

I did we at a vets (some 21 years ago now) and it did involve a lot of cleaning, but then the job does involve lots of cleaning - the tables have to be disinfected after every consult, the floors cleaned twice daily unless there's poo or wee in which case it gets cleaned and disinfected immediately. Instruments have to be scrubbed and autoclaved after every operation.
I also got to watch surgery every morning (mostly neuters with the occasional more interesting one and my personal fave a csection cos the puppies were seriously cute)
I also helped with the afternoon checks on the animals who had had surgery that morning, and then sat in on the consultations at tea time. I learned loads, including that I didn't actually want to be a vet, I loved the job but wouldn't have been able to keep my mouth shut to clients whom I thought weren't acting in their animals best interests, and I'm too soft to put a healthy puppy down because its legs a bit funny so its not worth anything. (Still feel angry about that today)

SleepyFish · 08/10/2013 19:54

Cleaning is extremely important in a vets and qualified nurses who often have degrees spend a lot of time cleaning. Even letting her handle the animals without training on restraint techniques could be considered putting her at risk. Am surprised they've not got her sitting hand feeding and things like that though.
I did my work experience in a travel agents and spent the week stamping brochures!
Afaik it's 6 hours before a break entitlement, but in the real world of veterinary practice breaks are rare, I've been in theatre for upto 9 hours before and been on call day and night for several nights in a row. That's the reality of veterinary practice.

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 08/10/2013 19:55

And no, I'm not saying she shouldn't be doing any cleaning or that it's beneath her. I'm saying there's loads of things she could be doing and learning. One place never I had was fab, kind people who talked through things, showed be slides , let me help hold animals for treatment or showed me how to feel where to inject ( obviously I didn't actually inject) , showed me and explained consent forms to me and I observed loads. It is possible to do more than clean.

humphryscorner · 08/10/2013 19:55

rag yes, I agree. I actually did my W/E at my place of work now, it was what inspired me - the young people we get now seriously can not be arsed!

lolilolilou · 08/10/2013 19:56

Does your daughter actually want to be a vet OP?

DSM · 08/10/2013 19:56

It could well be a very realistic insight into life in a vets. Unless you are the actual vet.

I have two good friends that are vet nurses, and their experience does seem to be a lot of cleaning and other basic tasks. Not solely, obviously, but they are fully qualified, experienced adults and they seem to spend a good deal of time cleaning.

But they could also be exploiting her. I don't know. You haven't given a great deal of info.. Maybe there haven't been any surgical procedures yet to observe? And of the rest of your list, she has fulfilled watering, grooming and cleaning.

foxy6 · 08/10/2013 19:57

I dis a week at a beta work experience oh ( too many years ago now) and spent time cleaning but I also got to see a cat being spayed and a operation on a dog's broken paw that had to be pinned. all very interesting and I put me off being a vet I didn't realise there would be too much blood ( that was the dogs paw) .

foxy6 · 08/10/2013 19:58

vets not beta

ihearsounds · 08/10/2013 19:59

So she hasn't just cleaned. She has done some other things like give the animals water and some grooming.

I remember WE. 10 days of spinning on the chair.

gordyslovesheep · 08/10/2013 20:00

hang on is today her SECOND day???

If so I think you are expecting way too much too soon - the vets need to assess her ability - and she's done MORE than just clean - she's cared for the horse

Work experience is a vet is rare - she needs to knuckle down and get the most out of it - moaning after 2 days isn't good

She's 15 - due to insurance etc she is limited on what they can let her do

Retroformica · 08/10/2013 20:00

I would probably speak to the vets and ask them directly when they plant to move DS in to more interesting things like grooming etc. also ask them if they can clarify the times of your DDs break as she's not clear.

LittleMissWise · 08/10/2013 20:00

It depends what she is cleaning. I worked as a Dental nurse (did WE as one too), there was a lot of cleaning involved in the job. Cleaning the instruments, cleaning the surgery between patients, cleaning the spittoon etc. I should imagine at a vets you have to add in cleaning food bowls, water bottles and cages so it could be par for the course.

Madamecastafiore · 08/10/2013 20:00

She has only been there 3 days and has done other things as you list. You need to give it some time. Veterinary nurses do spend a lot of time cleaning.

JustinBsMum · 08/10/2013 20:02

You shouldn't complain OP, DD should 'enquire politely' - if she shows some nows she might be given more interesting work.

Viviennemary · 08/10/2013 20:03

I can see why you aren't pleased she was not given a more varied list of tasks to do. But no wonder firms are reluctant to take on schoolchildren for work experience when they get the attitude my child won't do this and my child can't be expected to do that. All that will happen is that next year they won't take anybody. That's my experience of it anyway.

gordyslovesheep · 08/10/2013 20:04

sorry - 3 days - still too early into a 10 day placement to be sending mum in !

maybe she's not confident enough yet? give her time to settle in

thecatfromjapan · 08/10/2013 20:06

Personally, I'm loveing all the: "When I twas young, I did work experience as a traffic light. I sat at the side of the road, holding the lights, for 24 hours, for 5 days. I didn't take a break, and I peed in a cup. I'd made my own sandwiches. And I was bloody grateful for the opportunity. Young folks don't know they're born."

I can see no virtue at all in teaching our children that it's fine to be exploited. It is, actually, shit to be exploited - and an outrage that it is happening, all the time, in a rich, first world country. To give children a work experience of being exploited is bizarre. I think I'd like my children to be taught to aim a little higher than that. It's not being precious to want more.

That said, I suspect the poster who has said there is a lot of cleaning in a vet's is correct. Is she really doing nothing other than cleaning? Is she exaggerating a little because there is so much cleaning? I would tell the school about the breaks, too.

Layl77 · 08/10/2013 20:07

I'd not be too happy with that. Yes they need to get stuck in and learn its not all fun and games but a vet wouldn't spend 5 hours cleaning, an hour would be fine then shadowing them or doing admin/other stuff. They're obviously just getting her to be a skivvy. She needs breaks too this proves they're taking the piss

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 08/10/2013 20:08

So what is the right thing to do with regards to bad placements? I've had good ones and bad ones and in between. I've also worked for companies who took on WE and gave them nothing to do aside from cleaning stick rooms that hadn't been done in years or filing shit that again no one had touched in years. I frequently felt sorry fir them and had them shadow me despite being the lowest person there and not knowing that much, but without that they honestly would have had nothing. It's reasonable to expect to actually see something interesting without it being a "kids can't be arsed these days" senario?

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 08/10/2013 20:09

Store room

thecatfromjapan · 08/10/2013 20:09

Not "loveing", "loving".

I've thought of another: "When I did work experience, I was given a placement at a solicitor's and they used me as a coat-stand all week. I was proud to do it."

I'll bet you lot who are saying that young people today whinge don't actually have teenage children. That's the kind of crap people who don't have teenage children have been spouting for generations.

maddy68 · 08/10/2013 20:09

Real work in a vets is mainly cleaning.
The law changed a while back it's now 6 hours then a break
It's nit exploitation, it's work experience. She couldn't administer medicines could she?
I would assume most of that job to be cleaning tbh

LittleMissWise · 08/10/2013 20:15

I honestly don't think she is being exploited, tbh. I think people go into work experience thinking they aren't actually going to work, they are just going to observe.

I have teenagers, one has done WE, one will be doing it this year in Yr12. When DS1 was on WE he came home knackered, filthy and smiling. He knew he was there to see all aspects of what they did, not just the 'nice bits'!

They both have part time jobs, they work bloody hard and accept that they are at the bottom of the pecking order, tbh. DS2 has spent most of the school holidays washing up and cleaning, he gets up at 6:30am on a Saturday to do it, for very low pay, but he enjoys earning his own money.

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 08/10/2013 20:16

No she can't give meds but she can see bloods run or be talked to about a surgery, see X-rays, assist making up kits, see slides of scrapings or bloods, observe consultations, listen to heart beats. Along side cleaning.