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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Should I speak to my daughters manager?

73 replies

sarahwoody75 · 08/12/2022 07:51

My 16 yo has a weekend job. She has been asked to work a shift starting at 5am on a day when we are unable to give her a lift. We are not comfortable with her walking to work at that time (20-25 min walk). When she told her manager she couldn’t do that shift, her manager hung up the phone on her. This seems a bit unprofessional but would it be sensible to try and speak to her manager? We would just try and explain why daughter can’t work that shift and ask if we can provide dates she can’t work early to try and help future planning of shifts. I am wary of making things worse but manager has been not very approachable in past when daughter has tried to talk to her herself. Thanks if you got this far!

OP posts:
isthewashingdryyet · 08/12/2022 07:52

Taxi ?

ContemplatingPollocks · 08/12/2022 07:54

I’d put her in a taxi, certainly wouldn’t let her walk, but I think she should look for a new job.

ContemplatingPollocks · 08/12/2022 07:55

And no, I wouldn’t bother speaking to her manager, she/he doesn’t sound too clever at all.

Hercisback · 08/12/2022 07:56

Taxi?

This is her problem to solve really. Does her contract have 5am as start time? Or is it zero hours.

CharityShopChic · 08/12/2022 07:56

I'm not sure that legally she's allowed to start that early, especially when she's at school? Although I do recall the law says something about a get-out clause when there is nobody over the age of 18 available.

I don't think you should speak to the manager though - she should. No need to be rude or arsey, but she should point out that a 5am start means a 25 minute walk in the pitch dark and she's not comfortable wuth that.

MagpiePi · 08/12/2022 07:56

if she gets a taxi this time then the manager may ask her to do 5am starts more often.

One off taxi and a new job.

Covetthee · 08/12/2022 07:57

i definitely wouldn’t speak to her manager, its a bit unprofessional.

i’m pretty sure its not legal anyways for a 16 year old to be at work at 5am, I’m sure hours are 6am to 10pm.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 08/12/2022 08:00

No, I would support her to speak to her manager but it's a bit embarrassing to get your mum involved in work issues.

In the situation you describe, a taxi would seem like the best option if this is a one off. If it's likely to be a regular issue, then I think she needs to look for another job.

The manager sounds awful by the way, but I don't think you wading in on dd's behalf is the solution. Part of what they learn from part time work is how to deal with these situations themselves.

Feelallright · 08/12/2022 08:05

The company are breaking the law. She’s not allowed to start work at that time. There are strict rules in place:
www.gov.uk/night-working-hours

lookersnoopy · 08/12/2022 08:08

Feelallright · 08/12/2022 08:05

The company are breaking the law. She’s not allowed to start work at that time. There are strict rules in place:
www.gov.uk/night-working-hours

This link says she can work at 5am, depending on the job.

carefulcalculator · 08/12/2022 08:09

Feelallright · 08/12/2022 08:05

The company are breaking the law. She’s not allowed to start work at that time. There are strict rules in place:
www.gov.uk/night-working-hours

If 16 I think it is ok? From the link:

Staff aged 16 or 17 cannot work between midnight and 4am.

They usually cannot work between 10pm and 6am (this can be changed to not working between 11pm and 7am, by contract) but there are exceptions if they work in:

agriculture
cultural, sporting, artistic or advertising activities
a hospital
a hotel or catering
retail
post or newspaper delivery
In exceptional circumstances they can work at night if there’s no adult to do the work and they’re needed to either:

handle a sudden increase in demand
maintain the continuity of a service or production - for example, filming
The employer must give the young person a rest period of the same length as the extended shift.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 08/12/2022 08:09

Feelallright · 08/12/2022 08:05

The company are breaking the law. She’s not allowed to start work at that time. There are strict rules in place:
www.gov.uk/night-working-hours

I don't think it's clear from that link that the company are breaking the law. There are circumstances when 16yos can work at that time. We don't have enough information to judge, do we?

lookersnoopy · 08/12/2022 08:09

OP you can't speak you her manager, she has to do that herself. How long has she worked there and what was the shift pattern times given? What does her contract say?

CharityShopChic · 08/12/2022 08:10

The list of situations where a 16 year old can be expected to work at night is fairly extensive and most employers could find a reason which fitted.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 08/12/2022 08:10

You absoloutley cannot talk to the manager. She is 16 with her own job. All you can do is support her with advice and tips on how to approach work issues (which she us free to ignore).

When she took the job, presumably she knew thay shifts sometimes start at 5am?

CharityShopChic · 08/12/2022 08:13

When she took the job, presumably she knew thay shifts sometimes start at 5am?

But every employer has their own policies. DD took a weekend job at Next when she was 16, this is the store which is famous for their sales which start at silly o'clock and where staff have to stay late to set it all up, and be there at 3am or 4am. But the policy in her store was that 16 and 17 year olds would not be expected to start before 7am and work later than 10pm. So if you accept a job on the understanding that you'll be working (for example) noon to 8pm every Satruday and then they want to change that, that's a different matter.

dampthursday · 08/12/2022 08:15

Did her manager agree that she only had to do the 5am shifts on certain set days?

To be honest, if it’s in your contract that on some days you need to be at work at 5am then you need to be at work at 5am. It was rude of the manager to hang up, but I can see why they were frustrated.

MrsMitford3 · 08/12/2022 08:18

You really really can't speak to her manager.

This is part of her having a job-it is her manager not yours.
Very rude to hang up but still not for you to sort.

Feelallright · 08/12/2022 08:20

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 08/12/2022 08:09

I don't think it's clear from that link that the company are breaking the law. There are circumstances when 16yos can work at that time. We don't have enough information to judge, do we?

Show quote history

Yes, I see that I have misread that link. 16-year-olds can start work at 5am in some circumstances.

FaazoHuyzeoSix · 08/12/2022 08:21

you shouldn't talk to the manager. if she's not capable of handling this situation then the job isn't suitable and she should resign. as pp say it's potentially illegal for this shift to be assigned to her, depending on the industry and justification for the request and how much of a one-off it is, so she should send the manager the links to the sites on limits for young workers to work before 6am asking them to confirm whether any of the listed exceptions actually apply. then she should look for another job.

Rshard · 08/12/2022 08:21

My dd is 17 and it’s really hard not to interject when they have issues like this but it helps them learn to manage stuff like this themselves. My dd has, with support sorted a number of employment issues herself this year, it’s really helped her confidence.

I do think that a lot of places employing kids this age simply do not appreciate that they’re most likely in their first jobs and need a bit of support in navigating it.

lookersnoopy · 08/12/2022 08:21

People saying the manager was rude, we really need the context before deciding that. If the 5am start is part of her shifts and the issue is she can't get there on that day, perhaps being told over and over by a 16 year old they can't do it would result in a 'it's your shift, you sort it out' type response, and hang up.

OO hasn't given anywhere near enough Information here for people to be calling the manager rude.

boingboingboingboing · 08/12/2022 08:28

lookersnoopy · 08/12/2022 08:21

People saying the manager was rude, we really need the context before deciding that. If the 5am start is part of her shifts and the issue is she can't get there on that day, perhaps being told over and over by a 16 year old they can't do it would result in a 'it's your shift, you sort it out' type response, and hang up.

OO hasn't given anywhere near enough Information here for people to be calling the manager rude.

That is rude though!

Cwcwbird · 08/12/2022 08:29

I wouldn't actually speak to the manager no. I'd help her work out what to say herself and make it clear I support her leaving the job if she's not being treated well.

lookersnoopy · 08/12/2022 08:31

@boingboingboingboing

In the context I was trying to describe it would be the 16 year old who was rude and the manager who was at the end of their rope not wanting to have the same conversation over and over. A firm 'this is your issue to sort' and ending the call isn't rude under those circumstances. But OP hasn't said enough about it to make any judgments.