So when you think your DC is working too hard and too long

[XingMing]

DC has a first entry level job as a commis chef at a very prestigious boutique hotel. ANd has decent A levels in very tough subjects that are good enough for most universities, but doesn't really want to study further in any of the subjects so is working in catering and got a job within hours of putting in a CV, was hired, and is at the beginning of the fourth week of work.

At the end of the second day this week, DC has worked 22 hours in the last 48, for £5.90 per hour and will do 12 hours per day for another three days. There will be a pay review after three months, but AIBU to think that it's slave labour. A friend's DC in Australia is earning 3x DC's hourly wage as a waitress with much less effort , stress and responsibility.

How is the catering trade allowed to get away with such conditions?

I think catering is notorious for poor T&Cs.

However, I think that this is something - now (s)he is working there - they will need to discover for themselves.
One way of looking at it is that they are earning £70odd a day, whilst learning a trade, rather than borrowing £thousands.

Waiting staff often earn more because the tips aren’t always shared with kitchen staff. Dd is thinking of becoming a chef - I really hope she doesn’t.

That’s a training wage

He's a teenager - full of energy - he'll cope. He'll work it all out himself. Don't interfere!

Catering is notoriously badly paid. And you can't compare with Australia, minimum wage for teenagers here is $17 an hour with extra pay at weekends, so a total different ball game to the UK.

I work in catering (employer) and that's a fairly standard teenage wage. Depending on the age of your DC it's actually over and above min wage.

Our staff are all payed over and above min wage and the tips are split equally throughout kitchen & FOH.

Wages increase depending on longevity of service as sometimes a lot of time and money is spent on staff to up skill and if they don't stay that can be crippling for a small business.

Fortunately for us we have a very high staff retention for this industry.

We put a lot of effort into making sure none of our staff are on zero hour contracts. They all get their annual leave (make sure your DC knows what they are entitled to) and we train them to a very high standard including SVQs etc where necessary and (more importantly) where they want to be trained.

Cheffing is long and hard but can be extremely rewarding if they where their passion lies.

Wages from Oz are non comparable I'm afraid. My 18yr old godson is a server in a bakery in WA and gets paid 2x more than some of my staff do. They have higher costs of living etc though

And with regards to your DC exam results, I am educated to degree level, as are half of my staff, and it's still rewarding work.

I hope my post helps even a little.

Thank you for all your responses.

DC is actually having the time of their life, enjoying being part of a team, experiencing the satisfaction of earning proper money (tips shared equally with FOH and kitchen staff) and becoming more competent each day, even though the chef yells to go quicker.

I have been astonished and delighted by the end of day cheerfulness and by the ability to get up at 5.00 and at work by 6.00 for breakfast shift without any parental prompting. It makes us think we have done some of this parenting lark correctly! Thanks all!

@XingMing you should be so proud of your DC, well done on a great upbringing.

As an employer some of the kids that come to me are quite unbelievable and unfortunately we can't afford to 'raise' these kids as well as train them.

Others have work ethics that put some adults to shame.

Sounds like you have the latter and if they have a decent employer they'll soon grow to value their worth.

Cheers to you

A friend's DC in Australia is earning 3x DC's hourly wage as a waitress with much less effort , stress and responsibility.

Cost of living is much higher in Australia than in the UK, but employment conditions are - on the whole - much better.

Your DC will cope. If they are unhappy, you will know about it, and they will need to learn how to deal with the situation from there.

Apart from the aching feet, DC is in a good place! And rolling the foot firmly over a tennis ball at the end of the day takes away most of that pain.

And with the right training and experience, the world is wide open to a skilled chef, so it's opening up future opportunities until such time as DC decides the future/career.

@XingMing sketchers. We all swear by sketchers

I'll share that nugget! Thanks @Calm!