Can I pay my stepson to do some garden work for me or would that be breaking the rules?

[FreshEggs]

20 yr old stepson was working in a factory doing carpentry piece work until last summer. He was furloughed during the first lockdown but laid off in August and has had no work/income since. We have helped him out with some cash, bought him boots etc.

We have some garden jobs (pergola, fencing, deck repairs) that he could undertake and we would happily pay him, but would this be breaching the lockdown rules as he is family? DH would obviously love to see him as we haven’t seen him since September, let’s not pretend otherwise, but he would definitely be paid a fair rate and the jobs do need doing.

The work would be undertaken outdoors except for when he needs a loo break etc. DH and I are both frontline workers working outside the home so we would be the ones most likely to be carrying any virus.

What would you do? I just don’t know. Happy to wait a few weeks as well.

He can do the work, but you should treat him being there as any other contractor. So not for social reasons etc

He could do the work for you and tidy your garden up. You could make him a ask of coffee do he only came in to go to the loo. Your DH could go outside and chat to him too if he stood a few metres away and both wore a mask. It would be good for dad's mental health too.

Only legal if he is working legally- paying tax etc.

Yes. You could pay a gardener so what’s the difference?

It’s fine to have him do it - it’s a job, cleaners and gardeners can work. And because it’s outside and you don’t need to be near him it carries bugger all risk.

I cannot get over people on these threads who seem convinced no one can work unless it’s essential. The directive is to work from home if you can and go to work if you can’t. We have to try to keep the economy going as much as possible - half of MN appears to think money grows on trees (perhaps he’ll find some in your garden OP)

No. It is not his work. You are creating this in order to see him and help him out with money. You are essentially trying to find a loophole.

Has he registered as self-employed or do you intend to pay him cash in hand so that he defrauds HMRC?

@Calmandmeasured1

No. It is not his work. You are creating this in order to see him and help him out with money. You are essentially trying to find a loophole.

Has he registered as self-employed or do you intend to pay him cash in hand so that he defrauds HMRC?

And how is any of that relevant to the spread of covid?

The OP wants gardening work doing, and she has a relative with the necessary skills, plus time and a need to work.

Providing they don't spend time together inside, there's virtually no risk of spreading the virus and it makes no difference as to whether she knows the person she employs to do the work or not.

As for tax and benefits, I believe you can earn a small amount without affecting either and as a 20 YO who lives with his DM, he'll be entitled to little or nothing anyway.

@Calmandmeasured1

No. It is not his work. You are creating this in order to see him and help him out with money. You are essentially trying to find a loophole.

Has he registered as self-employed or do you intend to pay him cash in hand so that he defrauds HMRC?

She didn't say anything about creating work to see him. She said they had jobs that they wanted done and that he has the skills to do them. If she had gone into the garden and taken a sledgehammer to her fence and then asked him to rebuild it, then you'd maybe be right about deliberately creating work but that seems unlikely.

I'd do it.

Are people forgetting that non essential work IS allowed? The rules are work from home IF YOU ARE ABLE. Unless a business has been specifically ordered to close by the government you are allowed to work.

Also people talking about "non essential" I hope none of you order any non essential items online during lockdown. I work in non essential production and we're still going out to work to make sure you get your online shopping.

Agree with others saying if it's within the rules do it. Do make sure you don't treat it like a social visit though.

I'm incredibly lucky to work with family. Normally our family office is the kitchen table but we do make sure at the moment we stick to a real office/outside as much as poss, we keep 2m apart and don't make cups of tea etc.

Go for it

As a slight aside one of my son’s mates - 24 - lost his job in the summer so started doing a few odd jobs for people he knew. He now has work coming out of his ears and has just sold his car and bought a van

Do it.

I don't know why people are still talking about essential work - that has never been part of the rules. If you're not in an industry that's been ordered to close and can't work from home then you've always been allowed to continue working.

I’d do it. It would be good for his mental health and confidence too. Write out a list of the jobs to be done and get going. Like others have said it could lead to other work.