To ask neighbour to pay son more?

[SunIsOutAgain]

My neighbour asked my 14 year old to do some jobs in the garden today. Cutting the lawn, taking back some hedges, tidying etc.

He is fairly competent at these things and it took him 2.5 hours. I would expect an adult could do it in 2, but it wasn't an especially small job.

She gave him £15 and he was a bit disappointed as he was hoping for 20. He said he didn't clarify the pay before starting (obviously an error that we've now discussed for next time).

It was very hot here today, which doesn't change the value of the work but does affect how he felt when he had finished!

Is this a reasonable amount of money? Should i speak to her?

Its not hard to cut a lawn with an electric mower! £60 an hour is bonkers. I need to change profession.

If he did a really good job and it took him 2.5 hours, personally I would have given him £20 and that would have been well worth it in my opinion.

If she asks again, say his rate is £20

Some of you are living in fantasy land and encouraging your children to do the same. Real life may come as a shock.
My child would have been happy with any amount of money at that age as she would have done it first to genuinely help and second for pocket money, no matter how small the amount. She helps coach the younger cohort at her club and gets a tenner a week. She probably spends well in excess of 3 hours a week coaching but she loves it, it gives her fantastic life skills and she's at the club loads in any event to practice herself. She's happy and I'm happy. She is 14 so below the NMW (and the age of being able to legally work!). When she babysits her siblings she does it because she enjoys it and will be happy with any amount of money I give her (or none at all if it came to that).
15 quids for a child to do some gardening is fine to me. Not sure what I would have done in the neighbours shoes (probably asked my own children and not pay them) but it's not worth falling over on. Yes good life lesson re outlining expectations in advance.
But anyone who thinks a child should get 15 quids an hour is setting their child up for a huge shock when real life kicks in.
And i say that as i do know i am bringing up my kids in a very privileged way so I have to consciously make efforts to ensure they don't take it all for granted. I don't think they do.

DS14 is going to do garden jobs for his Grandma today and we have said £10 an hour
However IME my mum (78) always underestimates how much things should cost, perhaps this lady is the same.

Really? Many adults on minimum wage don't get near £15anhpir ne er mond a school kid

But £15 for the amount of work on such a hot day is a pisstake. £25 would've been more acceptable

I don’t think you should say anything this time but chalk it up to a lesson learnt and next time he’s asked he will know to agree to a rate upfront.

Astonished at all the people who think she has underpaid or taken the piss, it sounds about right to me. My 16 year old works coaching sports and gets £15 for 1.5-2 hours work which he’s very happy with.

Why on earth are you paying your child to cut the lawn in his own house? I completely disagree with paying for chores though. In our home, everyone contributes - for the kids it’s their time. I have a 10yo ds who is now able to see something needed to be done and does it regardless of whose ‘chore’ it should be.
Teaches them to do something not only for a benefit!

What a joke paying £30 to someone for doing something in his own house!

I would probably expect him to be paid £20 for that- 2.5 x £8

I wouldn't be with him next time he talks to her though, but enable him to calmly and politely discuss with neighbour himself

Indeed! I have a small lawn and it takes me 20 minutes to cut it.

I’d chuck him an extra tenner myself and learn for next time

No, don't be with him next time that would be undermining and communicate that he needs you and can't manage it himself. He has learnt a lesson this time so let him manage it himself next time. That's the start of learning independence, motivation and self directedness. There's no reason why he should have known to ask for money in advance this time but his disappointment will help him know how he wants to manage it next time.

Some of these responses. Shows how many people haven’t got a clue as to the value of work and expect something for nothing.

OP write it off to experience and he has learned something today.

25 quid an hour? You got any jobs going?

Can you afford to give him the extra fiver? It's a bit awkward to ask the neighbour now if a price wasn't agreed before the work started. It could be the neighbour is out of touch with minimum wage, rather than being deliberately tight.

It's good that he's being resourceful, if he's wanting to do more odd jobs for people, I would coach him how to go about politely agreeing the price first. I imagine a lot of people would be happy to tip him a bit extra.

I think the price sounds fine. But next time maybe just tell him to state price first

If your neighbour asked him because she cannot do these or easily do jobs herself because she is older or disabled, I think your son did a kind and neighbourly thing for a token of her appreciation and I can see that asking ahead would be awkward. If she asked him because she wants to employ someone to do something she does not choose to do herself then £15 for 2.5 hours work is unfair and taking advantage.

There's no minimum wage for under 16, but 16 is £8 an hour.

You said an adult should be able to do it in two hours, so two hours pay seems fair. So would expect £16.

So £15 is not far off.

But a good lesson for him to agree pay before next time and say he will do it again but wants £20.

OP there isn’t actually a minimum wage for under 16s. £8 per hour is for 16-18YOs. I’d still think £6 an hour wasn’t really enough for physical labour in the hot sun but minimum wage doesn’t come into it. Hopefully he’s learned a valuable lesson from this: agree a set price or an hourly rate up front before starting work. That’s really on him so no don’t go and speak to the neighbour or cause and awkward situation. It might not even be a malicious attempt to stiff so much as just being oblivious to how expensive everything is these days!

Awwww good for him!
In this heat i think your neighbour was stingey!!!!

I'd give him the fiver.

Next time explain he needs to be clear upfront and say "its £10 pr hour charged by the quarter hour.".or send them to you BEFORE doing anything.

My son is 17 and charges £10 an hour for gardening etc for a nice neighbour. She rounds it up so he's never had less than £20. Also provides food, cakes and drinks so he's happy with that. The key is to set the rate.

The neighbour has taken the piss paying him so little, but, as he didn't agree a price beforehand I don't think you should ask for more.
Let him learn how you must negotiate a price before you do any work.

It was mean. But I wouldn't say anything. But dont let him do any more jobs for her.

By it the point of the minimum wage for younger people is you are paying less as they are less experienced. This was a manual labour job which the child did to same standard as an adult. It just took him a bit longer. I would have paid the teen the same as if I had paid an adult to do it. If it was a big clearing job in heat, somewhere between £20-30 for the whole job (regardless of how long it took) would seen reasonable in my view.

How do they earn pocket money then? I pay my children for jobs such as this otherwise how would they get money to go out with their mates?