I won’t actually do it but feel like it.
Dd is 17yo, in sixth form. Good, polite, hard working kid. She’s been desperate for a job and heard that a business in the village was employing.
I had slight reservations as I know this business gets through staff quickly and I’ve also seen them asking for people to work unpaid for a week on trial before potentially getting a job.
Anyway dd started working for them on a Sunday. Gets £25 for 8 hours so not even minimum wage which isn’t good. No break either. But enjoys the work and gets on with the manager ok. Manager told dd she was the best person they’d had in ages and was professional as she works hard and isn’t on her phone like others have been.
She was asked if she wanted more work over the summer and texted back to say she could work but not Tuesdays or Saturdays. They texted her back saying they wanted her to work this Tuesday (2 days before). She had plans but didn’t want to upset them so texted back and said she could work but only till 12. So did 4 hours work.
During this shift the manager made her aware of some comments that the business owner had written in a staff handbook about dd. Dd said it was an A4 page of ranting saying that dds work the previous weekend had not been up to scratch. Lots of swearing, “I’m fucking sick of x, she’s a fucking lazy bitch and I’m running out of patience”.
Dd has only told me today and broke down in tears. She says it’s not even true. She did everything she was supposed to do and spent 4 hours making the place spotless. The business involves animals and the boss was basically mad because the next morning there was animal poo about.....odd that dd finishes at 4pm so by the next morning the animals will have produced more shit. Dd Is adamant she cleaned all the poo up on her shift.
When she finished at 12 the owner refused to pay her anything because she said she hadn’t done a full shift. They’ve asked dd to work next Tuesday and said they’re doing it to teach a lesson because if she was an adult she would have to prioritise her job over driving lessons. Dd has told them she can only work the morning again and says she will do it even though she doesn’t think they will pay her again.
I’ve told her not to go back. I’ve offered to ring up and either politely or ideally not very politely tell them she won’t be coming back. I really want to ring the woman up and say I think she’s a disgusting excuse of a human who is bullying a teenager and not even paying her. I’m fucking furious. Dd says she doesn’t want any conflict and will just carry on working until the end of the summer and then tell them she needs to stop,work to concentrate on a levels.
I’m certainly planning on reporting them to whoever cares about minimum wage breaches.