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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Paper round is slave labour!

56 replies

CoffeTastesGreatToday · 21/05/2025 09:40

DS took on a paper round in January. I posted about it at the time because we couldn't tell if the pay was £13 per day or £13 per week.

Well... turns out it was actually £12.50 per WEEK!

So, he was getting up early, cycling off at 6:40am to get the papers at 7am, completing his round - which took him miles from home and up a main road. Then was getting home after 8:20am and having to rush off to school.

I did the round a few times with him. It was freezing and horrible in the rain, and the houses were so spaced out. Not many papers to deliver, to be fair. Just the route was a bit rubbish, and included a block of retirement flats which took a long time to walk around and navigate

We decided it wasn't worth giving up other activities in the evening just to get up early for a job that paid v little, so he handed in his notice! He then got really ill so I did the last week of his round for him to help out the post office and allow them time to find someone else during his notice period. Even in the car (it was cold! and hec, I wouldn't have chosen this job! So allowed myself some comfort!!), the route took me a good 45minutes each day!! I was truly counting down the days!!!

AIBU to think £12.50 a week is complete exploitation? That's £2.50 a day - for an hour cycling around delivering the papers, plus the getting up early, working in the cold, cycle time to get to the post office to collect the papers etc..

Who is actually working these hours for this money? DS really wants a job, but I just don't think the time and effort for £2.50 a day is worth it! My brother got paid more for his paper round in the 80s!!! What happened to pay rises in line with inflation etc...???

I'm late 40s. At the age of 12 I got a work from home job that paid £2.50 an hour. So same wage, but in the comfort of my home and this was over 30 years ago. And even then, I thought it was a poor rate of pay, but accepted it (because I wasn't old enough to have got a job legitimately, so was in no place to complain!!)

I am genuinely gobsmacked that a legit, well established and national company, the post office, is exploiting kids in this way!

OP posts:
GoldieFish · 21/05/2025 09:46

But once he realised how poor the pay was, why did he continue with the job, especially if the round was lengthy?

I have no idea whether the pay is standard across post offices, but I knew the route of the paper deliveries in our old village (it was a local joke that the mother of one of the paperboys followed him around in her car, as he cycled, at a distance of about ten feet), and it was all within the village. Country roads in the dark in winter wouldn't have been safe for a child cyclist.

Butterbly · 21/05/2025 09:51

In my experience paper rounds have always been like this since the 90s
Often with parents doing a lot of support work including driving, leaflet stuffing meaning it becomes a whole family endeavour

It seems identical to my experience in the early 00s but with identical pay!

Original poster
CoffeTastesGreatToday · 21/05/2025 09:54

GoldieFish · 21/05/2025 09:46

But once he realised how poor the pay was, why did he continue with the job, especially if the round was lengthy?

I have no idea whether the pay is standard across post offices, but I knew the route of the paper deliveries in our old village (it was a local joke that the mother of one of the paperboys followed him around in her car, as he cycled, at a distance of about ten feet), and it was all within the village. Country roads in the dark in winter wouldn't have been safe for a child cyclist.

He only did it for about 4 weeks (and I did the final 5th week for him as he was v ill)

He's desperate for a job. So we thought he should give it a decent shot. See if it got quicker with practice etc... He nearly gave it up after week one, but he loved the feeling of being handed a brown envelope with cash in it on a Friday, so that stopped him handing his notice in on the first couple of Fridays that he'd planned to! After 4 weeks he was totally done though! And I think the fact he fell v ill and was probably not feeling great the day he handed his notice in, helped him get over the hurdle of handing it in!

OP posts:
justkeepswimingswiming · 21/05/2025 09:59

I used to do a paper round for 170 houses twice a week… I also had to stuff leaflets in the papers that came seperately.
i got a whopping £8 a week in 2005. Paper rounds have always been child labour.
I stuck to my paper round for two years then went to McDonald’s and got paid £3.88 per hour 😂

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 21/05/2025 10:01

A paper round in the mid 80s paid a max of £5. At inflation that would be £19.Nobody has consistently experienced in line with inflation pay rises for 40yrs.

Children under 16 are not entitled to minimum pay and looking back to when I was a teenager it was about the sum in your hand rather than trying to work out hourly rate.

I've always seen it as an opportunity for children to earn money if they wish rather than exploitation. The shop is offering a service of convenience rather than a grand plan to bring them millions at the expense of a childs welfare

OneAmusedShark · 21/05/2025 10:05

I got paid £1 a round for daily round that took about 2 hours to do. That was in 1995.

I used to get paid every two weeks with a £1 bonus if there were no complaints about getting the wrong paper, so getting £15 felt like a fortune in those days.

Bluevelvetsofa · 21/05/2025 10:11

My son had a paper round in the 90s. He also had one with free papers. It was impossible to carry a bag, it was before trolleys were a thing, so I spent many weekends driving round with him. Weekend papers were massive then. It was absolutely rubbish pay then, but it did give him a bit of extra cash and encouraged him to get a supermarket job as soon as he could. He stuck at that for a long time. Some kind folk gave him money at Christmas too.

Original poster
CoffeTastesGreatToday · 21/05/2025 10:17

Thanks for your replies! When I posted previously, people were telling me the going rate is about £35 a week! But looks like from this thread, the £12.50 a week he got was actually kind of normal.

Anyway, not sure what other job he can do! Any suggestions? He's hard working and driving me insane going on and on about how he wants to make money!! But he can't find a job anywhere!! (He's asked every shop in the village but apparently he's too young. He's 13. I think legally there's more he can do at 14. But not sure who'd hire a 14 yr old!)

OP posts:
Greybeardy · 21/05/2025 10:22

t'was ever thus (well, at least since the early 1990s). Sunday is the worst (I could barely breathe with two bags of Sunday papers on). At least he can leave...my parents owned the newsagents so there wasn't an escape! Was something of a relief when I passed my driving test and got to the 'the country round' rather than cycling round town.

Dreambouse · 21/05/2025 10:24

It's not a great money spinner, but this is nothing new- it should be made crystal clear when someone asks about the job what the pay is though and the route so they can make an informed decision. I personally loved doing it when I was younger because I was very active so getting paid to go out on my bike was great, it also felt rewarding and when I came to compete with others for a 'regular' job i had experience that they invariably didn't. Now children are generally less active and expect more for less i can see why they're not as popular; unless newsagents start charging people a lot to cover delivery it wont change. Here the local newsagents has an adult volunteer who does it.

It's not as easy to secure work at 14 now as lot of businesses will only take people of school leaving age and above- a small local business might take him on but be sure to check everything is above board as it were.

Init4thecatz · 21/05/2025 10:26

Is it really surprising?

The Daily Mail (I had to look it up) costs 70p

If he does 50 houses, that's £35.

Chat GPT says the margin for the shops is ~20%, so they're only getting £5 for this same stack of 50.

If he does this, say, 3x a week, the newsagent is literally breaking even.

krustykittens · 21/05/2025 10:27

Our local post office is posting on FB begging people to take up their paper round and have no takers - this is exactly why! It used to be very young kids who did it when I was young (80s), kids of around 12 who would have been too young to get a job anywhere else. My parents wouldn't let me do it as they both worked and wouldn't have been able to come with me and felt it was too dangerous for me to do on my own. I suspect that's why they have very few takers these days. It's so pathetically underpaid, I wonder how it is even legal.

Fruitbat99 · 21/05/2025 10:29

That's ridiculous. My friend did a paper round in 2003 and it was £15 a week

FreezeDriedStrawberries · 21/05/2025 10:31

I've voted YABU as I used to have a paper round and have fond memories - didn't even know they were still a "thing!" 😁
They've always not been much pay, even at the end of the 80s.
It's character building and gives you good work ethics.
Especially when it's property supplement or TV mag day and it's like you're carrying a brick on your bike 😂
Kids nowadays, too bloody soft, probably get driven round if it starts spitting with rain 😁
<ducks>

mindutopia · 21/05/2025 10:31

At 13, I very much doubt there be anyone rushing to employ him. If he wants to earn, he needs to come up with a way to make some money. Mowing lawns? Washing cars? Helping out a neighbour with odd jobs? Even something like opening an online shop (buy something in bulk and sell on eBay) with your help?

There are two lads in our local town who started a mobile car wash/valeting business. I think they only just did their GCSEs last year so they must have been young when doing it (they took a few weeks off ahead of exams I remember) and they seem booked up most afternoons and weekends.

LimitedBrightSpots · 21/05/2025 10:47

Do you have neighbours with small children? Unfortunately the family have now moved away, but last summer I paid next door's teen £10 per hour to come round and entertain my kids in the garden for a couple of hours a morning while I worked upstairs.

I wouldn't leave a 14yo in sole charge of small children, but if he's good with them, offering to entertain them while parents are wfh might be a bit of a money-spinner.

Emanresuunknown · 21/05/2025 10:50

CoffeTastesGreatToday · 21/05/2025 10:17

Thanks for your replies! When I posted previously, people were telling me the going rate is about £35 a week! But looks like from this thread, the £12.50 a week he got was actually kind of normal.

Anyway, not sure what other job he can do! Any suggestions? He's hard working and driving me insane going on and on about how he wants to make money!! But he can't find a job anywhere!! (He's asked every shop in the village but apparently he's too young. He's 13. I think legally there's more he can do at 14. But not sure who'd hire a 14 yr old!)

Tbh i don't think a 13 year old should be working, it's too young. And really as a parent you shouldnt have encouraged him to think working at 13 was realistic - the demands on kids these days are pretty high in terms of school and homework, plus come on, times have changed, we recognise using children for labour isn't a good thing?
Maybe try and reset his expectations a bit as its much more realistic for him to consider a job at 16.

GoldieFish · 21/05/2025 10:52

mindutopia · 21/05/2025 10:31

At 13, I very much doubt there be anyone rushing to employ him. If he wants to earn, he needs to come up with a way to make some money. Mowing lawns? Washing cars? Helping out a neighbour with odd jobs? Even something like opening an online shop (buy something in bulk and sell on eBay) with your help?

There are two lads in our local town who started a mobile car wash/valeting business. I think they only just did their GCSEs last year so they must have been young when doing it (they took a few weeks off ahead of exams I remember) and they seem booked up most afternoons and weekends.

Yes, exactly. I'm 52 and there were loads of (also exploitative) job opportunities for that age when I was 13 I worked behind the deli counter in the local shop, did FT summer holiday childminding, babysat nights and weekends, did glass collecting in a bar, picked fruit. None of those would be open to a 13 year old now. I agree that lawnmowing, carwashing, plant watering etc for neighbours would be a good place to start certainly a couple of DS's friends (who are 13) do this.

Original poster
CoffeTastesGreatToday · 21/05/2025 10:57

Emanresuunknown · 21/05/2025 10:50

Tbh i don't think a 13 year old should be working, it's too young. And really as a parent you shouldnt have encouraged him to think working at 13 was realistic - the demands on kids these days are pretty high in terms of school and homework, plus come on, times have changed, we recognise using children for labour isn't a good thing?
Maybe try and reset his expectations a bit as its much more realistic for him to consider a job at 16.

Show quote history

Well, there's not chance my youngest will be interested in getting a job at 13! But my oldest has wanted a job since he was 8!! To be fair, he'd have been old enough to deliver some leaflets or something with me then, but we couldn't find anything that would take us both!!

I worked from 12 and I loved it. It was great for my work ethic, independence and self esteem. It was a great feeling getting my wages each week. I think it's great he wants to work hard and values the idea of working for his money. I don't want to dissuade him. He does however do a lot of after school activities so I don't want him to give those up for a job that earns him peanuts! If he can find something which earns a decent wage, then it feels more ok to drop and activity or two!

OP posts:
5foot5 · 21/05/2025 10:57

I am genuinely gobsmacked that a legit, well established and national company, the post office, is exploiting kids in this way!

I imagine this is a village shop/newsagent that also hosts a Post Office counter. The village I grew up in had a business like this. She had two counters - one was the counter where all Post Office business was transacted and the other was the counter for shop business.

The Post Office themselves won't have anything to do with newspaper delivery, that will be part of the other non-PO bit of the business.

Original poster
CoffeTastesGreatToday · 21/05/2025 10:58

5foot5 · 21/05/2025 10:57

I am genuinely gobsmacked that a legit, well established and national company, the post office, is exploiting kids in this way!

I imagine this is a village shop/newsagent that also hosts a Post Office counter. The village I grew up in had a business like this. She had two counters - one was the counter where all Post Office business was transacted and the other was the counter for shop business.

The Post Office themselves won't have anything to do with newspaper delivery, that will be part of the other non-PO bit of the business.

Oh I see! Thanks! (It is a village post office )

OP posts:
MattCauthon · 21/05/2025 10:58

Around here, pay is £20-30 per week but does vary. Ds' forst attempt was £30 but it was a 10 mile route and he bad to leave the house before 6am to manage it! His second was £25 and took an hour only but it was 6 days not 5. So bad pay, but not as bad and a lot more convenient.

It's definitely basically slave labour though.

Serpentstooth · 21/05/2025 10:59

Paper rounds have always been like this, paid in pennies, that's why there are so few now, also massive decrease in newspaper sales, and many vacancies for those willing to give it a try.

TheNightingalesStarling · 21/05/2025 11:01

No one employs children for anything else as its recognised that children are open to exploitation. (Which you've just described paper rounds as...)

mewkins · 21/05/2025 11:03

Lawnmowing is the way forward I think.

I also had various exploitative jobs in the 90s. Awful.