To think ToysRUs are taking advantage

[minifingerz]

Of my dd?

She is 16 and this is her first job. She has been told she has to work Christmas Eve until 7pm, and Boxing Day, for £4.48 an hour. This is the minimum wage for 16 year olds.

Now I totally understand the rationale for starting 16 year olds on a pittance - it makes sense for employers to take them on because they are cheaper and so decreases youth unemployment. But once a child has started work and proven themselves to be as competent as the adults they are working with, then businesses shouldn't take advantage of these very low pay rates to staff their shops as cheaply as possible on bank holidays and Sundays should they?

Obviously I've not said this to dd. I've told her to work her buns off, beat all her targets for plastic bag sales and be the best shop assistant she can be. She's going down a storm. One customer actually gave her chocolates this week for being so helpful, and she is proving a mistress of ringing up sales fast while distracting whiny children at the checkouts with free catalogues and jolly smiles.

So AIBU?

Well, I have told her to suck it up and continue looking for a better job now that she's getting a bit of experience under her belt.

She babysits as well and makes good money from that as well as eating her way through the fridge so she's not too badly off.

I just wish employers had more of a tendency to encourage young people to feel valued in their work by acknowledging their value when they're doing a great job, rather than penny pinching and scrimping.

Encourage her to look at Tesco, mini. I'd heard horror stories in the past and was really concerned but it's the best place I've ever worked. And be proud of her - she's got her head screwed on and is at least working, which is more than many her age can say!

It sounds like she's doing an amazing job so well done to her - especially at 16, it's a tough environment to be confident in so she deserves high praise.

Most retail companies will stick to minimum wages because of the cost of day to day operations - the high streets are slowly dying because of the age of the internet and as such it costs more to staff shops, keep the lights on when the money that used to be in the till is now flying virtually across the internet to another company. It also comes in that younger people don't often have the life experiences to be able to handle difficult customers and complaints, physical aspects of the job and will need a little help from time to time. This can be trained to some extent but a lot of it comes from experience. I have staff 18-20 years old that struggle with this still and some customers have made them cry. Especially at this time of year.

Bank holidays and Sundays don't exist in retail either - they are exactly the same as any other day regardless of if you're the new staff at 16 yo or the manager of the largest stores.

Good performance should be reflected with pay rises and promotions (as my company does, I'm in the management team at a medium sized retailer) but you most definitely have to show the willing and consistency first. By beating her targets and working the long Christmas hours she is putting herself in a position to be looked upon favourably when staff appraisals come around. She'll get glowing references if she choses to move on and the work experience is invaluable going into lots of different careers.

I can only imagine that plastic bag sales will be linked to them wanting to give more money to their chosen charity (are they bags for life/reusable ones?)

Sounds like you've said all the right things to her though, but as for pay, this is just the reality of it across the board in retail - it's not the money making career but if you do well it can be very rewarding.

Good luck to her in the future and hope you have a lovely Christmas in between shifts!

But why has these 2 days got you bothered. Neither is a bank holiday.

Try working at 'game' if there a big game launching or its Christmas, staff have to be in at midnight and if they work over their allotted hours to help of sort out their sales they dont get paid any extra and some managers are total pricks

The minimum wage for 16/17 year olds is £3.87 per hour, so whilst it is low, it is more than the minimum.