Part time work for teens - pay a month in arrears?

[Birdbrained13]

so my teen has finally landed a job for the summer, after months of sending out CVs, trawling round cafes etc. it’s a good job (holiday play scheme) but we’ve discovered they pay a month in arrears. It doesn’t start until 25/7, then any work in July isn’t paid until end of August, and August work paid end of September. I think this is very unfair for kids as he basically won’t receive anything until he’s back at college! Is this normal?

That's completely standard.

Standard for adults in full time employment but for seasonal work? I will have to fund all his travel and expenses! What if I was unable to?

That's just the way most payrolls work.

It can be difficult for a company to run different payrolls for different employees. If their standard is a monthly run, then thats their schedule. Not much you can do about it other than look elsewhere for a job

Some companies provide "subs" from the staff members pay packet

Totally normal regardless of how old someone is.

Happened in two of my teenager's jobs. Large organisations, payroll is done on X date and if you're not in, that's it. I do agree it is tough however.
One of my children had a job in a retail chain and they were contracted for x hours but was offered lots of overtime which she gladly took. When they were finally paid the overtime didn't appear because apparently overtime went on a different schedule and the employer then said well we don't have to pay you overtime, it could be taken as TOIL. The manager and lots of the staff left..

That doesn’t sound normal based on any employment I’ve had. Work in any given month has always been paid at the end of the same month.

There might be some cut off issues, if the hours are variable, so each month pays week 4 of the previous month plus weeks 1 to 3 of the current month.

if they’re paying July at the end of August, some of that was was earned around 8 weeks earlier!

Yes fairly normal these days to be on a monthly cycle. Gone are the days of my £8 being in a brown envelope with a payslip.

It is because they are not starting until the end of July, very normal to have a cut off for pay.

They’re also not paying August until the end of September. Where they’re starting late in the month, it’s usual for that month to be included in the next month (so the first pay to be the first full month, plus the few days missed in the prior month). It’s not usual for every month to be paid the end of the following month

The OP says her DD only starts on 25th July so only 4 working days before end of month. Not enough time to get all payroll processes completed to get payments set up for value on last day of month. Most businesses will need minimum 1 week, more usually 2, to get casual hours approved, payroll processed in the software and payments set up at the bank. Setting up a new employee is even more work. So very usual for a new employee starting near end of month to not be paid until end of next month.

Additionally, it’s very usual for casual work hours to have a cut off date a week or two before month end to allow time for approval and processing of timesheets. You therefore get paid at the end of the month for hours for the last week or two of the previous month, plus current month hours up to the cut off date.

Have worked in many different organisations, including being responsible for payroll in some, and that is how it has always worked.

Past the cut off for payroll. For proper corporate organisations this is completely normal - in return they will be treated like other employees too including holiday pay as that’s legally required. Some places will give an advance on salary but very much organisation dependent.

Yes unfortunately seems normal particularly they need to process what hours they’ve done. It’s not like working for a corporate on a set employment contract. Ours have worked locally so not an issue they can walk. and when I was in the same position many years ago I had a travel pass.

if they are over 16 they will have to pay tax, they will be able to reclaim tax in April. or if they are definitely not going to work between September and April they can claim back earlier. I like it’s like an enforced saving scheme.

Actually, it is quite common in many places. It prevents people from walking off the job on pay day without giving notice. A month in hand is a common payment method.

It’s not usual for every month to be paid the end of the following month

It really is.

on a normal contacted hours job, it's not normal. In the 20+ companies i've managed payroll for this has never happened except for additional payments like overtime.
The amount of people who think their normal basic monthly pay is for the previous month always baffles me. They leave and are like "i'm due a months pay!! "

When it does happen, however, is on zero hour or "flexible" or seasonal contracts. However, these are more commonly weekly so you only wait a week.

I work with a lot of school kids. We are all paid like that.

Well, every job I've ever had has paid monthly in arrears. I always had a contract with set hours.

When I left my last employed job at the start of January 2020, I got my final paycheque at the end of February (for the days worked in January).

Sounds off to me! 4 days in July paid at the end of August would seem normal, but then I’d expect August’s pay then too. September should be paid at the end of September. Sounds like the company will need the income from the fees to pay staff. Or they’re doing it as a way to ensure people don’t leave halfway through the season. Personally I wouldn’t want one of mine working for so long without seeing a penny and most people won’t be able to afford to do that!

The fact that some people are saying this is okay and normal, when it's so clearly not, actually makes me a bit angry about what people will put up with from employers.

I did an 8 week job last year where for reasons beyond my control the company forced me to be paid by an employment agency rather than the company themselves. The woman running the company wanted me to agree to be paid 90 days after the end of the job, which would have meant being paid in January for work I did in September! Other people contracted though the agency just shrugged and seemed completely willing to accept that as something you just have to put up with, which meant I seemed like a difficult person for fighting it.

In an age of instant digital payments, nobody should ever have to wait more than a few weeks after doing work to be paid for it, but like anything in employment relations, nothing will change if people blindly accept whatever shit companies try to foist on them.

Very standard. That's just how it works

July 4 days getting paid in August is normal, but August not getting paid to September is a bit off.
Nobody works 8 weeks without getting paid.

It makes me question the companies financial security, if they go down your just a normal creditors so could end up with pennies for 2 months work.

I worked for a company that was a bit hairy, the Payroll Man ran the payroll a day early to make sure everyone was paid, the administrators were called in on the day payroll should have been run

Is it? I've had many jobs but never had to wait until the end of month 2 to get month 1s pay. I'm surprised that's a common thing, how do people manage with no pay for up to two months?

So you're saying that it's very standard to start work on say the 1st of say July but not get paid until the 31st August, I just don't believe that