To think if you are that short of staff you should employ 15year olds?

[SunsetandCupcakes]

I'm not that old, still old but in the v late 90s I had a job in the kitchens, my brother had a job selling ice creams at 14.
Catering near me is struggling to fill vacancies, it's the summer in a holiday town, two kiosks have had to close as no staff and yet my 15 year old isn't allowed to work.
How can working be more detrimental than sat at home on the PS4, we've ended up with a funny view on teenagers

Again, I just don’t get the desperation for DC to be working as soon as possible.

Teenagers want to work and earn their own money - 'twas ever thus.

15 year olds should be enjoying their summers- not packed into commercial kitchens.

But if the 15 year old feels they cannot enjoy their summer because they need more money to do so, then what is the solution?

But if the 15 year old feels they cannot enjoy their summer because they need more money to do so, then what is the solution?

They could offer their services around the neighbourhood for money - mowing lawns, washing cars, walking dogs, babysitting etc.

When I was fourteen I worked on Friday nights dog-sitting for our neighbours' dog who had separation anxiety. They paid me £10 an hour to sit in their house and watch TV while their dog snored on the sofa next to me

I also did babysitting for other neighbours, and washed cars occasionally.

@DysmalRadius

Again, I just don’t get the desperation for DC to be working as soon as possible.

Teenagers want to work and earn their own money - 'twas ever thus.

15 year olds should be enjoying their summers- not packed into commercial kitchens.

But if the 15 year old feels they cannot enjoy their summer because they need more money to do so, then what is the solution?

Surely they can be creative - lots of ways to make money online including tutoring, transcribing videos for subtitling, etc. Or informal, cash in hand jobs like babysitting or weeding gardens as pp have mentioned

If they want to work and find something that suits them, fine. Mine did that. There was no compulsion from me or their dad, it was their choice. What they earned supplemented their allowances and they enjoyed it but they were lucky to find part time employment in areas that interested them.

I never worked while at school, liked being in bed too much in the morning at weekends and during the holidays.

As for babysitting, my mother would never have allowed me to babysit at 15. I don't know why and it still rankles a bit because I was asked and had to turn it down. However I wouldn't have been paid, just food provided for me to pick at. Paid babysitting wasn't such a thing back then, it was usually for friends and relatives.

@warmfluffytowels and @CastawayQueen

I agree, and suggested self employment upthread, but was responding to a poster who said that 15 year old shouldn't work at all.

@warmfluffytowels

But if the 15 year old feels they cannot enjoy their summer because they need more money to do so, then what is the solution?

They could offer their services around the neighbourhood for money - mowing lawns, washing cars, walking dogs, babysitting etc.

When I was fourteen I worked on Friday nights dog-sitting for our neighbours' dog who had separation anxiety. They paid me £10 an hour to sit in their house and watch TV while their dog snored on the sofa next to me

I also did babysitting for other neighbours, and washed cars occasionally.

The kids who feel they need to earn some money (because their parents can’t afford to subsidise them ) are probably the ones least likely to have nice, middle class neighbours who pay for dog sitting and car washing or even have gardens.

Dh was brought up in a street (& his dad still lives there) where the neighbours are more likely to get a teen drug dealing than dog sitting.

I’m from the era when i worked in a pub kitchen from the age of 12 until 16. Its a shame times have changed. Gives kids sone kind of work ethic.

And to the person on page 1 who said they’d be more of a hindrance? Jeez.... 🙄 give kids a chance ffs.

@MrsDThomas

I’m from the era when i worked in a pub kitchen from the age of 12 until 16. Its a shame times have changed. Gives kids sone kind of work ethic.

And to the person on page 1 who said they’d be more of a hindrance? Jeez.... 🙄 give kids a chance ffs.

I manage a business that regularly employs 16 -18 year olds. The overwhelming majority of them are more of a hindrance than a help.

The kids who feel they need to earn some money (because their parents can’t afford to subsidise them ) are probably the ones least likely to have nice, middle class neighbours who pay for dog sitting and car washing or even have gardens.

I mean, the last time I checked, kids have legs and can walk to different neighbourhoods.

There's plenty of casual work out there for teens who are willing - I live in a town that's definitely not middle class and plenty of teens earn money doing odd jobs like the ones I mentioned.

Obviously you are employing the wrong people then.

@MrsDThomas

Obviously you are employing the wrong people then.

We regularly employ lots of all types from various backgrounds and have done for many, many years. They’re not all “the wrong people”.

It’s simply that the overwhelming majority of under 18s are a hindrance.

I agree. My son is 17, I work in HR in a factory and we're really struggling to find staff but I can't employ him and his friends because they're under 18.
Employment law is slightly different for minors so it can make things a bit tricky for production in terms of breaks and rest periods

Personally I would totally ban part time employment for under 16s and substantially restrict it to casual arrangements like dog walking for under 18s.

The focus at that age should be on education and enjoying being a teenager, not washing pots or pulling pints.

@GreenLakes

Personally I would totally ban part time employment for under 16s and substantially restrict it to casual arrangements like dog walking for under 18s.

The focus at that age should be on education and enjoying being a teenager, not washing pots or pulling pints.

I agree in principle but some kids don't receive a good allowance because parents can't afford it so they look for jobs to finance their social lives.

It's OK as long as they are doing something they enjoy and the hours aren't too arduous.

@Maggiesfarm

Which is why I think teens who are still in full time education at that age (who don’t come from a household with a high income) should be paid an allowance by government.

I don’t agree with the situation at the moment where teens from poorer backgrounds are out working to earn money and thereby not as able to focus on their studies (and just enjoying life at that age!).

@SunsetandCupcakes

I get what everyone is saying about 'The Rules' but how can this help anyone?

Your probably post “ To think if you are that short of staff you should employ 15year olds?” Someone pointed out the rules to explain.

We all had Saturday jobs when I was a teenager, I had mine from around 14/15. Basically it was every Saturday, but being already employed (it was a clothing shop) meant I could work extra in the holidays/Christmas or when they needed stock-taking and so on.

These days under 16 is counted as a 'child'. You can employ youngsters but there are all sorts of extra laws to protect children form being exploited and for safe-guarding reasons. I know of a hotel which will happily employ 15 year olds if they are nearing their 16th birthday; it does someone good to learn good work habits early on in life. However, as that particular job is cleaning rooms, not many 15/16 year olds want to do it, and even if they do, they tend not to work quickly enough.

[quote GreenLakes]@Maggiesfarm

Which is why I think teens who are still in full time education at that age (who don’t come from a household with a high income) should be paid an allowance by government.

I don’t agree with the situation at the moment where teens from poorer backgrounds are out working to earn money and thereby not as able to focus on their studies (and just enjoying life at that age!).[/quote]
You think the government should give teens free spending money for their wants?
Most of the working teens I know do it because a) their parents want to instil the value of hard work or b)They want extras like a new Xbox. Or pretty clothes and makeup. Neither of which they actually need and could survive without.
Ironically it’s the poorer teens who don’t work because their parents want them to focus on their studies and get a good job (and use the money to help the family) 😂 but I guess they’re also ‘privileged’ because their parents value education, eh?

If families need money then it should be given as a family but money to spend on leisure doesn’t make sense

My son 15 and a desperate for a part time job they said they wouldn't employ him S he would need to get a pvg and no one under -6 can get a pvg! We live in a tiny village so no paper round or anything as no shops

If you want an under 16 to get a job hospitality is the wrong place to look. Employing a child in hospitality is not easy, there are lots of rules that make it hard work and inflexible.

Try animal care, hairdressers, newsagents, leisure centres, and if money isn't important charities, e.g. behind the scenes at charity shops sorting deliveries. Sometimes volunteering first helps get a foot in the door or relevant experience.

If the child has any skills look at coaching/teaching qualifications.

My relative had a paid job at 14, it turned into an apprenticeship at 16, then a higher level apprenticeship, and now a career doing something they love and travelling at their employer's expense. There are jobs out there if they are keen.

I agree Jesus.

My dd gained experience one summer volunteering at the local library for their Summer Reading Challenge activities. She was then able to put this on her CV as experience of working with children to enable her to get her first job in 6th form assisting with kids drama & dance classes.

And to the person on page 1 who said they’d be more of a hindrance? Jeez.... 🙄 give kids a chance ffs.

Why are people making out like calling them hindrances is a personal attack on specific children?

Having under 16s (as opposed to adults) is a hindrance in many workplaces because they are not allowed to do so many things and there are so many rules that they need constant supervision. it defeats the purpose of employing them to free up other people if those people then have to supervise them the whole time. That is not a judgement on the particular child who is working, but the situation.

I work in a supermarket, we don't employ under 16s because it isn't worth the hassle - the limited hours and roles they can do isn't worth the time it takes to do the paperwork especially especially you can just as easily ask an existing colleague to stay an extra couple of hours on a Sunday etc. We also only employ 16-18yr old as a rarity on the shop floor because, again, it's not worth the hassle since they aren't old enough for us train them on the machinery/checkouts etc and allow them to use them unsupervised... and if we need someone over 18 who is trained to supervise them at all times it's a waste of time when that person can just do it themselves. Similarly when I worked in a hotel as a waitress in the hotel restaurant I got far more hours once I turned 18 and could work till the dining room closed at 10pm and then help out behind the bar if they were busy and/or short handed (or if it was a quiet night with minimal dinner reservations then instead of being sent home they could let me work behind the bar)

Some places, where they literally just need an extra pair of hands to help serve customers between 9-5 in the school holidays but there will always be an adult present probably don't mind having 15yos on staff. But if you need someone flexible, who can be left to work independently and who is legally allowed to do all parts of the job then under 16s aren't viable options, no matter how hard working an individual child is.

What's the rule that under 18s can't work on the till? Like many pps I worked in a shop from age 15/16. Has the law changed?

@Lonel

What's the rule that under 18s can't work on the till? Like many pps I worked in a shop from age 15/16. Has the law changed?

They're not allowed to sell age-restricted items, such as alcohol, tobacco, knives etc.

Some credit card processors (merchant accounts) prohibit under 18s from accepting cards at the till, so if the business uses one of those c/c providers, they can only handle cash sales.

@Lonel

What's the rule that under 18s can't work on the till? Like many pps I worked in a shop from age 15/16. Has the law changed?

It depends on what they are selling. Under 18's can't sell alcohol, tobacco, knives, age restricted video games etc etc