So angry

[Lovelycupofcoffee]

So my teenage son started a job in a local pub until he goes to uni in September. First month he was paid late and this month paid late again and only half of his wages . My first instinct was to go down to the pub and ask for his wages . Then the sensible part of me kicked in and realised he’s 19 and needs to fight his own battles. I’ve told him to leave and get another job as he’s unlikely to get paid properly for anymore shifts . Do I just need to accept he won’t get paid and move on ?

What reason are they giving for paying him late and only half? Is he deffo turning up for his shifts and on time?

Don't go down there. If hes genuinely being paid late/half then yes he needs to look for another job.

No absolutely not. They must pay him. Are they part of a chain? Anyone higher up you can go to? Small claims court is always an option.
I know he needs to fight his own battles but you can lend support.

Is he not paid into his bank account? What does his payslip say?

He needs to be paid for the hours he’s worked. It’s completely unacceptable that’s not happened. Yes he needs to be able to fight his own battles but with your support. I would get him to write down the hours he’s done and the amount he’s owed. Can he email the manager/boss so there’s a paper trail? Get this sorted and look for another job.

So the pub seems to be open for a few months then closes and I think they are struggling but that’s not the point . They are part of a chain I think . 500 quid is a lot of money and yes he does go in and does all his shifts . I did think about small claims and maybe sending them a one off solicitors letter? I know that would be expensive but I’m so annoyed and it’s my son so I will try and help if possible

They have paid him 300 so far but he had to keep asking .

Is he getting paid via bacs? Does he have a pay slip / contract or is it all informal / verbal?

He definitely needs to pack it in & get a different job but he also has the right to be paid what he's owed - I'd be down there, like a shot, demanding his money & threatening legal action if they don't cough up. How dare they take advantage of a teenager like that? There's no excuse.

Does his wages get paid into his bank account or is it cash in hand? If the latter, cash in hand can be a bit dodgy.

Tbh I would be standing in the bar demanding he's paid and refusing to leave until he is paid.

You can find letter templates via the CAB website so you wouldn’t need to involve a solicitor in the first instance.

You need to back off and let him handle it.

The employer has no obligation to talk to you at all and would be well within their rights to tell you to fuck off because you’re not their employee, he is. They shouldn’t disclose anything to you.

She’s not their employee. They could just call the police and have her removed. The police would not get involved because it’s not her that works for them.

I would go with my son and support him in asking for his wages. I would say that it was unacceptable to treat a teenager that way and is taking advantage of his youth

I'm not suggesting she smashes the place up!
Accompany son to the pub and ask for his wages quietly calmly and politely taking all relevant paperwork with you.
If they refuse then move to step 2.

So it’s sound very informal and no contract as it’s only until uni in September. But he should still get paid 😠

At 19 I think a little parental guidance/support is absolutely fine. Show him what he needs to do, calmly. Likely easiest in writing in a text or email. Tell him to outline all shifts worked, how it should add up (don’t forget tax) and then say he will seek the remaining amount in small claims if not paid. Set a deadline.

If that doesn’t work, you call them and be clear he has full parental support in pursuing a claim.

Is it cash in hand or payslips?

Of course he should get paid. You can’t contact them, he’s an adult and you aren’t his employee.
Good learning curve to get things in writing and work for defect employers. If he gets the money owed, he will know he did not that his mum sorted it.

How is he paid? Into his bank account or cash in hand?

Does he get a wage slip or is it cash in hand? In which case he won't be paying NI contributions on it which also has implications for him. If its cash on hand that's as dodgy as and he should have been looking for a different legitimate job anyway. I bet they pay a really poor hourly rate too.

I agree with this. They might take more notice if a parent is involved.

Stand with him - you don’t need to get involved. Just be there to support. Collect the money leave and get another job. Exploiting him is not an option. I would be livid.

If he's being paid less then minimum wage per hour for all hours worked you can report them for this. There does not need to be a formal contract and it's take pretty seriously, the threat of it is very effective in getting people to pay up.

I had similar when I was younger and used this firm to send a 'letter before action' around £25 and it worked. https://www.thomashiggins.com/letter-before-action-or-late-payment-demand.html

However, if its part of a chain and he hasn't yet gone higher than the local manager then I would get him to call/email the head office HR Director, Operations Director/ CEO in the first instance and outline what's happened. Does he know if other staff are having the same issues? Then they could band together?
Hope it gets sorted ASAP and he finds a good summer job.