To ask whether I should pay these teenagers?

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

One for the Mumsnet jury - I'd very much welcome others' input before deciding

Yesterday I hosted a large garden party and had three 17 year olds to help with serving; everything was prepared, so all this involved was pouring and handing round food and drinks and helping to clear up. The party lasted three hours and I'd offered them £40 each

Unfortunately all three spent practically every moment playing with their phones, leaving me - with the help of two very kind invited friends - to do most of it myself. All reminders were met with "yeah, in a minute", "I'm just ..." and so on, but no actual help

Once the last guest left they refused to do any clearing up; apparently all three had something "really urgent" they had to leave for, but were quick to demand their money. I explained very calmly that I'd have to think about it since they'd done so little, to be met with a chorus of "yeah buts ..." and "it's not faaaiiirrr", followed by numerous texts today asking for their money

So what does everyone think, please ... should I pay?

You hired them for a job. In effect, you were their manager. It was your responsibility to set out the rules (like, leave phones in kitchen- no phone on the job etc) and also your responsibility to go up and say "you are being paid to work. Put your phone's away and work or you can leave".

I'd contact their parents to explain why they won't be paid, and next time be more assertive.

Hopefully there won't be any egg throwing (!!) and I'd probably get away with some dark looks from the fellow group member if I didn't pay, but the friend is already texting me on her daughter's behalf having been given a very different story

(I probably should have known better with that one, but foolishly gave way to her mum's insistence about how desperate she was to help as she really needed the money)

I should perhaps add that all three girls know each other, so there's no chance of paying any more than the others even if I wanted to

If you didn't intervene at the time, then yes, unfortunately, you need to pay them. I'm surprised their parents haven't already asked you.
It's no good offering kids money in exchange for work and then not being clear about their duties on the day itself.
Did you at any point before the end actually have a word with them abput what was needed?

I wouldn't pay, and as a mum of a 16 year old, if mine did such a terrible job I'd a) want to know and b) be annoyed if you did reward their terrible work.

I spend a lot if time instilling a hard working attitude in to my teen and would like to see it paying off in society. He is taught that hard work reaps rewards and entitlement gets him nothing. I wouldn't want him to think otherwise.

I can't believe you were offering them 40 quid in the first place

You probably should've said something at the time, along the lines of "phones away for the whole time please" and given them specific jobs with a reminder about not getting paid if they didn't improve.

Most 17 year olds do actual real jobs , if they don’t do them properly the still get paid but chances are they’ll get the mallet and not work there again.

Minimum wage for 17 year olds is £4.20, so I’d give them all £12.60 for the 3 hours (and never hire them again)

I would discuss with their parents and offer to pay them IF they come back and each do a couple of hours of hard work for you - with clear expectations set as to what is needed to be accomplished and that phones are not to be used until after the work is completed. You just need to think of something for them to do that would be helpful for you, and supervise them so they actually learn from the experience.

I’d pay - but tell them, and their parents, that they were useless and you wouldn’t dram of hiring them again.

Lesson learned on both sides.

Yes, of course I kept asking them to put away their phones - that's where the "I'm just ..." came in. I also mentioned "no phones" before the guests arrived, not that it did me any good

The group member (mum of two) wasn't at the party but my friend (mum of the third) was there just for the last half hour so wouldn't have seen how it all played out

I'd give them £10 each and a bit of a lecture. . But I'm a bit blunt and not very good at dealing with stuff gently. Like hell would they get the £40. I'd be very upfront with their parents about it too.

No. They are 17, this was a job. If you play on your phone at work and then refuse to do part of the job, you'd get fired and wouldn't be paid either.

The parents will think you atre pulling a fast one and have ripped off their trusting naïve little darlings.

I's pay them, chalk it up to experience and never hire them again

I think that you have to pay them as you didn't complain at the time. Would pain me to do so. Perhaps say to them how disappointed you were.

I think you should pay them. If you weren't happy with them then you should have told them to go home. I would tell them that I wasn't impressed thought do hope get learn from it.

I think you should have sent them home if you weren't going to pay them due to them being on phones etc.

f you play on your phone at work and then refuse to do part of the job, you'd get fired and wouldn't be paid either Yo would have to be paid for the hours you had worked though. I think the only way you could have got out of paying them was to fire them as soon as you saw they were useless and just paid for the time before .Tou cannot decide retrospectively that an employee was useless and refuse to pay them for their time,

That was meant to say... I would tell them I wasn't impressed though and hope that they learn from it.

Minimum wage for 17 year olds is £4.20, so I’d give them all £12.60 for the 3 hours (and never hire them again)

The never hiring them again is a given, but yes - paying them just £4.20ph is my own inclination; what I wanted to check is whether that would be fair

No doubt I'd get some dark looks and muttering, but my shoulders are broad enough for that ...

We had 1 seventeen year old do our party for 100 people, he did the BBQ for 4 hours, cleared up, prepped food, all of the washing up etc. Charmed the guests. He was amazing. I did pay him £20 a hour and a massive tip as he was so awesome.

Send them a group text explaining why you are paying them less then agreed - because they worked less than agreed

The parents will think you atre pulling a fast one and have ripped off their trusting naïve little darlings.

Tough titty.

I think you need to pay them half of what was agreed, especially if you didn't tell them either to work or go home, or threaten at the time not to pay them unless they pulled their fingers out. You do risk ruining any relationship you have with their parents (and their friends once news goes around) if they do not see things your way (which they probably won't).

This situation is also to a large extent your own fault - next time be a bit more assertive if someone you're paying isn't doing what you want.

No I don't think you should/can pay them less than you agreed. Even if you have nothing in writing it was still a verbal contract.

If they weren't performing to your satisfaction (and I don't doubt they were fucking about and being useless) then you should have told them to shape up or ship out.

You didn't - so you have to pay up.