To think it’s unacceptable to expect a 16 year old to work an 8 hr shift and stay an additional 2hrs because they’ve been busy?

[peggysue82]

DS1 (16) recently started working as a pot washer at a local pub. It’s his first job, and after a tricky couple of years with him we are really pleased he is doing something positive. However, it feels like they are taking the piss with their expectations of him at times. This week he has been asked to work 2 x 2-10 shifts and 2 x 4.30-10 shifts, but they seem to think that it is acceptable to expect him to stay until all the work is ‘done’, so when it is busy there is much more to clean and he is expected to work past closing time. Tonight for example, he has just called to say that he doesn’t think he will ready to be collected until gone midnight, he has been there since 2pm. They know he is in the middle of his GCSEs at the moment and that he isn’t able to make his way home alone as we live about 15 mins drive and there are no buses, so he is reliant on me or DH picking him up. It just feels like such a big ask of him when he is so young. When he has asked to finish a bit earlier their attitude has been, ‘if you don’t want to work then we will find someone else who does’. Am I being unreasonable to expect them to be a little less demanding on a 16 year old?

Seems like having a few weeks off whilst doing GCSEs would have been sensible?

Yeah, I agree. What does your son think? Is he happy to do it? If he's unhappy he needs to find another job.

I looked this up as I wasn't sure it was legal for a 16 year old to work those hours

"During school holidays 15 to 16-year-olds can only work a maximum of 35 hours a week. This includes:

• a maximum of 8 hours on weekdays and Saturdays
• a maximum of 2 hours on Sunday"

https://www.gov.uk/child-employment/restrictions-on-child-employment

Is he getting paid for the extra hours?

He did ask, but they said he either continued to work or didn’t have a job.

I can't believe that you're letting him work until 10pm four nights a week during his GCSE's.

I agree that he should leave when his shift finishes though and they don't sound very nice to work for.

It seems a bit daft to have started a job just before his exams. But if he's not happy he can leave.

He is enjoying the money, and likes the job I think, but he is tired. He has an interview next week for another restaurant a bit closer to home.

Yes he will be paid for them.

You need to be a parent here. He can’t work these hours during his GCSEs . He should quit if needed.

He has struggled with school and socially a lot over the past couple of years so the job has been a big positive and turning point for him. We have let it go as we would rather he was working than just dossing about with his mates.

Personally I'd tell him to just quit now and focus on his exams.

He can look for another job afterwards.

Working as a potwasher for minimum wage really shouldn't be his priority right now...I say that as someone who regularly worked til midnight as a potwasher while doing my GCSEs. I wish my parents had made me quit.

Well this is very interesting…I’m sure they probably already know this though and have just chosen to ignore it…if we mention it I suspect they will give him the boot 😔

Well you are not U to think this is unacceptable. You also have to factor your own life into this, ie pick up and drop offs.

But the choice is really simple for your DS: take it or leave it. There's no point pretending that there's a happy medium.

Let them give him the boot, then report them.

Do you really want your child working for somewhere willing to disregard the law?

This is pertinent as well.
Term time rules

During term time children can only work a maximum of 12 hours a week. This includes:

a maximum of 2 hours on school days and Sundays

a maximum of 5 hours on Saturdays for 13 to 14-year-olds, or 8 hours for 15 to 16-year-olds

I voted YABU because it is the kind of job that you can't just knock off from.
However, he shouldn't be working those hours during his exams and they sound like employers that don't follow the rules.

I think a 16 year old is more physically capable of doing those sort of hours than most people, so I don’t think it’s his age that makes it unreasonable. It’s just unreasonable because it’s your bog-standard employer-treats-employees-like-shit unreasonable.

It's very very common for employers to take advantage of young employees!!

I'd say he has to take a break until after his GCSEs - which is most important?! Then he can start again.

Don't let his employer bully him.

I was a dishwasher and yes it is expected that all dishes be cleaned and dried and stacked before you punch out.

I see that the business should be sending him home early though due to child labor laws.

I agree that your DS should quit. He shouldn’t work for an employer that won’t follow child labor laws, because employers like that often ignore other workplace laws, especially safety or minimum wage.

I agree a bit of work is good at that age, but that job is too many hours and not suitable for him. His #1 full time occupation is a student so that is the priority.

It is normal for a pot washer to have to stay late on busy shifts.

Does he accrue holiday pay, could he put some holidays in?

You are allowing them to exploit your child. He is not allowed to work those hours so they either adjust or get someone else.

when is he doing his exam revision?

There are so many things wrong here. But the worst is their demand for such a young person to carry on working past their finish time, just because they are 'busy'. He's too scared to say no, understandably. Just teasing here but say they had loads would they expect him to work to 2am, 4am, 6am. It's just ridiculous. Please make this stop.

It's really common for businesses to exploit younger workers by not paying them the minimum wage and breaking the law on hours worked etc,

It's a shit job and he should be prioritising his GCSEs.

They almost certainly won't change their ways if he stands up tp them they'll just fire him and move onto the next.

He needs a better job.