Is this ski job package acceptable or exploitative?

[Johnogroats]

My DS has just had a an interview for some ad hoc work in a ski resort, supporting a nationally known brand. The package is as follows

1. 9 days work comprising 2 days acquaint (you need to get to know the place and introduce yourself to ski school, hire shops etc) and then 7 days with a school trip. You'd be up about 7 for breakfast, escort them to hire shop, take them to lessons, be available generally. I think there is some free time during the day but you'd need to be on the phone and deal with any issues immediately. At the end of the day you'd collect from ski school, sort out issues with kit, help with queries, take to dinner, organise evening activities - some or maybe most nights you'd finish about 9pm.
2. Pay £130. This is per week, and I think that means the full 9 days.
3. All meals
4. Ski kit and ski pass and insurance included. As is accommodation which is likely to be in a shared room.

Travel to ski resort included.

Obviously he doesn't have to take this job, but at the moment I am struggling to see how it is potentially legal. It would be a UK contract - he'd be a worker I think - but rules on working hours in the country concerned may also be relevant.

Any thoughts? Even if you regard it as a "free holiday" with a few additional duties, a few coffees and beers would have you in the red!

He's getting paid pocket money to do a very basic easy job. The money is very poor but he has no expenses so it's basically beer money. You can often make extras in resort plus tips.

I did it albeit years ago, best time of my life.

Sorry I should clarify… he’d be supporting a school with maybe 50 kids (teens). Possibly the only Rep in the resort. I did a season myself years ago…. I’m not sure I’d say what he’s signing up for is very easy compared to the job I did. Potentially great fun yes. There will not be time to do extras and schools are unlikely to tip.

Anyway, my question is whether (and on what basis) it’s legal.

So once he gets them all to ski school he is free to ski during the day unless an issue arises?

So basically, (having never been on one of these trips, but Google searched) he's getting a £1400 trip for free, with £130 spending money in exchange for a bit of babysitting?

So it's a one-off job. I was thinking he'd be doing it for a few weeks at £130 per week.

It does sound full-on. However he's getting his travel, board and lodging paid for.

Would be great experience for future work.

I'd probably do it myself (if I liked ski-ing).

It’s not great money - but I guess if they paid more and charged for rent/food/travel/ski pass it would probably work out the same. And that’s the basis they set the pay rate.

And a said above - if he wants to work in a ski resort more permanently then this is a good thing to have on CV.

I think massively exploitative! Doesn't matter what he does with his downtime if he's meant to be available he's working. Highly likely a child could get lost or admin need sorting and it'll be totally possible he'll have worked the whole time without the chance to hit the slopes himself.

Job should have an hourly salary attached, even if it's a rubbish one in exchange for bed + board.

I guess it depends on what country, if it’s Switzerland it’s absolutely illegal and it would barely cover a few coffees for the week, if it’s Bulgaria (as an example) it would probably be fine.

Likely to be France or Italy.

Think legalities depend on the contract. If workngin EU he would usually need a working visa but if accompanying a specific trip from UK and back maybe not. Is he on call 24/7 and would he be counted within staff/pupil ratios? What is his role if there are any medical emergencies? How old is he relative to the pupils?

What country is he going to? Does he speak the language? Surely there are teachers there to also support the kids and he would be just liaising between the ski shop, taking to/from lessons etc?
I don't know if its legal or not. 14hr days sound brutal IMO. Fine if things go to plan and the weather is nice, but could be awful if blizzard conditions, children unwell etc etc.

This is what I think. If you divide £130 by 9 you are being paid £14.40 a day. And his days will be long - I am no expert, but if you're on call and have to be available, you're working. And I agree, things will go wrong and need sorting out. Quite possibly you'll need to liaise with ski patrol after an accident and sort hospitals - talking to the UK and keeping people informed. I have done that myself with family members and it didn't make for a great day's skiing!

Interesting that we are in the minority though. Still interested if an lawyers have a view on the legality of the offer. eg In France I know you need to give an 11 hour rest period - if you're starting at 7, you'd need to knock off at 8pm (possibly while the kids are whizzing round the ice rink eating pizza / doing your quiz! And that's before you get onto the money.

My Adult children did a co-op through University with the same type of deal. Summer camp in Spain where kids do activities and learn English. They supervised kids all day with a school teacher present.
They had the best time.

Does he want to go?

He's "escorting" the school, so no visa required. You are told to say that and not that you are working if stopped at the airport. I don't think accurate to say 24/7 (unlike the teachers) but during the hours 7am to 9pm, yes, on call. If there was a medical emergency he'd be liaising between hospital, piste patrol, teachers, school and the company HQ. Unlikely to be accompanying child to hospital.

I can't edit my earlier post but another thing to check closely are T&C's IF he became injured or otherwise couldn't fulfil his work duties. Would he need to pay the costs of travel/transport back etc?

A friend worked a season in either Canada or USA, but because they couldn't complete the season due to a broken leg, they had to pay a substantial sum back to the company 😬 Just something to look into.

Unsure. Most likely France and he does speak French (A at A level). You're right teachers would be there and have primary responsibility for kids, but the reason they have reps in resort is to help ensure all the organisation works and goes smoothly. So to say it is just a bit of babysitting is not accurate.

How awful for her. Definitely one to check. I suspect it's covered by insurance.

Yes - he's pretty keen and he will make the decision but I want to be sure he has all the facts. And as I said above, I am really after someone explaining to me why and on what basis this is legal. The NMW is £12.91 per hour - he's being paid £14.40 a day! And while he's getting accommodation that's valued at about £11. So even if you add all that up, you're hugely under the NMW guidance (and remember he has been told the working day is 14 hours long!)

To actually fly out and get hostel accommodation isn’t cheap. Will he get time to ski himself?

How old is he? Under 21 the NMW is £10.85.

If he is on a UK contract, NMW applies. However, the accommodation is counted as part of his wage. For skiing, that could well be 90% of his wages, possibly more.

I tend to agree with the posters who say i will be a useful experience to put on his cv and certainly something to talk about at intervals. Its he kind of job you could talk up t much more than it is if you have that kind of hutzpa. Yes the money is shit but the experience to ski may make up for that. As for time off duty phones can have "bad reception" up there in them mountains.

according to AI which cites Uk government guidance….There is also an accommodation offset of £11.10 per day in 2026. That means employer-provided accommodation can reduce the cash remuneration needed to satisfy NMW, subject to the statutory rules.

So there’s still a gap. He’s 22 so even adding £99.90 on to the 130 means you’re paid about £25/day…. Somewhere well below NMW. Unless you’re going to be working 2 hours a day, and he’s going to be doing a lot more!

I'm a teacher, rather than a lawyer, so can only point out that he will have no responsibility (legally) for the students. The teachers will have that, and there will always be a member of staff with the students. If one is injured then the teacher will be responsible for liaising with school, parents and hospital and accompanying the student - they will not expect a tour rep (of any age) to do so. The most he will need to do is let the ski company know.

Legality wise, I have heard of plenty of unpaid intern jobs so I'm assuming that offering someone a 'free' ski-ing holiday abroad with a token amount of pocket money will fall along these lines. He is presumably being 'paid' in experience for his CV and it's for a very short period of time.

Probably, but difficult to know how much. Assuming there are no problems he could get 2 hours morning and 2 hours afternoon while ski school is on.