to expect a saturday assistant to not to sit down during her 3 hour shift and do the shelving?

[seekinginspiration]

When I got a saturday job (many years ago) in a shop it was obvious I would spend most of my time putting the products on the shelf (in my case a pet shop: so putting food on shelves etc). Today the new saturday girl has come up with every excuse why she can't do the shelving or folding: her fingers hurt after an hour, she had to sit down last week because she'd been to the osteopath before she came in. Unfortunately we need a passport to work where I work otherwise the ancient staff, over 40, who stand and shelve for 7 hours EVERY DAY, would be clamerouring for willing EU worker. What planet are our 16 years on?

I remember being 16 - remember, she's probably never in her life had to work so hard. Make sure she is wearing appropriate footwear - they usually don't. A pair of Clarks school shoes would be ideal!

She's not up the duff is she?

Don't you mean what planet is this specific 16 year old from.

lazaroulovspasties - Ha,ha,ha good question, or you might be right. Does being pregnant hurt when your fingers when you fold paper? Not something I experienced myself - sickness, tiredness, weird food craving but fingers were A OK.

YANBU - I worked in a florist as a saturday job and worked really hard for very little money.

Tell her that's what the job is. I'm sure you can find someone else to do it if she won't.

Having said that, I used to get irritated with shoppers in Sainsbury's who'd take the stuff off the shelves just after I'd put it on. I used to point out that it would be more efficient if they'd just take it straight out of the trolley

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Saturday worker here from 15 - used to haul big trays of beauty products, boxes of formula, baby food and nappies and toilet rolls up a very narrow and steep set of stairs several times a day (I worked in drugstore), 8 hour shifts! Again for little money.
YANBU.

I used to work 42.5 hours for £40 when I was 16 (modern apprenticeship)

OMG I suspect saying that I used to work 9-6 (one hour lunch) for £8.37 a day would give my age away wouldn't it? (It's not exactly a secret anyway....)

I remember looking at ads in a temp agency window when I really needed to get some cash in pocket ASAP post DD and hearing some teenager walk of the agency saying 'It's just not worth it for £5.50 an hour'. Clearly she didn't have mortgage/gas/electricity to pay for.

Surely an EU worker with an EU passport is just as employable as your unwilling 16yo? Or do you need a British passport? And, if so, how do they get away with only employing Brits?

£5.50 for a teenager! She should consider that highly paid, other 16 year olds are only on £3.40 these days.