Employers taking the ****.....

Employers taking the ****.....

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Discussion

surveyor

Original Poster:

17,768 posts

183 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
18 Year old step-lad has started his first job today. I'm waiting for the call to pick him up...

13 hours, and he will have earned £34. £2.68 per hour.

Apparently he can be paid this low because he's been taken on an apprenticeship.

The skill that he is acquiring.... Waiting on tables.

I'm absolutely livid, but can't fight his battles for him. But it seems that what was to enable young workers to lean a trade/skill is now being used to take the piss.

Had to share - I certainly had no idea the minimum wage was so easy to side step.

HaloGen8

1,413 posts

128 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
Thats rough but credit to the guy - he could be sat watching TV or on an Xbox but at least after 13 hours some life skills will have been earnt and learned.

A pat on the back I'd say even though the financial gain is poor.

DSLiverpool

14,672 posts

201 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
Certainly on our scheme they get visited monthly, have set hours and agreed days then at the end of the course we need a good reason not to take them on - I have employed every one so far.

I think the company isn't playing by the rules

Vaud

50,291 posts

154 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
DSLiverpool said:
Certainly on our scheme they get visited monthly, have set hours and agreed days then at the end of the course we need a good reason not to take them on - I have employed every one so far.

I think the company isn't playing by the rules
Reread the OP, it's the kids first day. wink

Edited by Vaud on Monday 7th July 22:48

LiamB

7,922 posts

142 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
I'm 18 too and a LOT of 'apprenticeships' are just small businesses looking for cheap labour and I think they get money for taking you on, I have worked for a few of the fkers and still am now.

It's ridiculous.

TwigtheWonderkid

43,248 posts

149 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
OP, that's poor.

My lad is 18 and started a paid summer internship today. He's on £50/day for a 7.5 hour day. And fortunate to be doing something he wants to do for a living so loved it today and can't wait to get to work tomorrow.

Mind you, to is credit, he has worked incredibly hard for a couple of years for nothing (over and above doing his A levels) to get him in the position to be offered this opportunity.

evo4a

737 posts

180 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
I take on apprentices.
Max hours is 37hrs.
one day a week at college.
I pay considerably more than the minimum as I to feel it's a piss take, all my apprentices have been offered full time jobs at the end on mans wages.

We are not all bad.

Some take them for 13 weeks only, they then get their grant, get rid of them and start the process again. Horrid.

Fattyfat

3,301 posts

195 months

Monday 7th July 2014
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Surely flipping burgers in a fast food chain would be better pay?

surveyor

Original Poster:

17,768 posts

183 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
He's been under pressure to find something, and to his credit has. He has been well rewarded in a suitably PH way.

He also has a couple of irons in the fire that might lead to something better paid with decent prospects. I don't think his current employer can expect any loyalty.

Helpfully he was due to finish at 10. He has now missed the last bus. I will be very unimpressed if they don't put him in a taxi (and no doubt I'll be collecting him too!).

Mastodon2

13,818 posts

164 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
HaloGen8 said:
Thats rough but credit to the guy - he could be sat watching TV or on an Xbox but at least after 13 hours some life skills will have been earnt and learned.

A pat on the back I'd say even though the financial gain is poor.
True, the last thing this lads needs are gaps on his CV, because periods of not being in work, training or education get employers moving onto the next CV in the pile.

However, an apprenticeship in waiting tables sounds hokey as anything, when I was in high school / 6th form I was a waiter, and all the other service staff were kids my age, also in education, we all knew we weren't staying after uni. I doubt anyone wants an apprenticeship in table service, it's not exactly a lifelong vocation. It sounds like this employer is just abusing the system for free labour.

OP, your son will find it easier to get another job as long as he is currently "employed", so tell him to stick with it and look for something better. Even if he is stacking shelves in a supermarket, he'll get minimum wage and will be earning double his current wage.

leafspring

7,032 posts

136 months

Monday 7th July 2014
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Young lad at work (marina workshop) has been working there longer than me... he has accepted an apprenticeship offer so is taking a pay cut from £6.50ph down to around £3ph eek

Either that or lose his job to someone willing to become an apprentice on that dismal wage yikes

yet more evidence that our manager is a not that we fking well needed it ranting

If I didn't love the job so much and like the money... @£7.50ph (my current rate) I'd tell him exactly what I thought of him and walk.

NB: I get a £1ph raise every 6 months... the theory being if I haven't been "let go" I must be good enough to earn it rolleyes

HaloGen8

1,413 posts

128 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
Mastodon2 said:
OP, your son will find it easier to get another job as long as he is currently "employed", so tell him to stick with it and look for something better. Even if he is stacking shelves in a supermarket, he'll get minimum wage and will be earning double his current wage.
Agreed. Also whilst serving he could stumble across his next prospective employer - right place right time sort of thing.

It will all work out in the end - I'm sure you will assist where you can beer

sebhaque

6,402 posts

180 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
I started as an apprentice 7 years ago. I'm not a fan of this apprenticeship = cheap labour deal, you join as an apprentice to learn a trade to (potentially) sort you out for life.

That said, your steplad has started on the bottom rung. Sounds crap, but he has to start somewhere. I'd echo the comments above and use this as a stepping stone into a better field of employment - and who knows, maybe he'll get lucky and wait on someone senior in a field he really wants to get into?

Best wishes to the chap and if he ever wants someone to talk to about engineering apprenticeships, send a PM my way.

surveyor

Original Poster:

17,768 posts

183 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
Well just picked him up.

He enjoyed it, but I like nothing that i hear.

Bloke pays cash at the end of month. High staff turnover. Apparently hours go missing. Tip jars go nowhere near staff etc.... Staff who leave don't get paid...

He's had two bits of interest from national insurance companies today, so hopefully something will come out of that.

My blood is boiling.

Negative Creep

24,942 posts

226 months

Monday 7th July 2014
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We've employed a couple at our work - we're an admin department so basically it's just an excuse to get two extra people and pay them nothing. If it's something like an electrician or mechanic I can understand since once you're qualified you'll earn a reasonable amount, but even if they get kept on they'll only be on about £13k p.a!

Jayessgee

196 posts

126 months

Monday 7th July 2014
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surveyor said:
Well just picked him up.

He enjoyed it, but I like nothing that i hear.

Bloke pays cash at the end of month. High staff turnover. Apparently hours go missing. Tip jars go nowhere near staff etc.... Staff who leave don't get paid...

He's had two bits of interest from national insurance companies today, so hopefully something will come out of that.

My blood is boiling.
He sounds like a keen young man. This will just be a very temporary stop gap. Big respect to him. You must be one proud dad.

eldar

21,614 posts

195 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
surveyor said:
Well just picked him up.

He enjoyed it, but I like nothing that i hear.

Bloke pays cash at the end of month. High staff turnover. Apparently hours go missing. Tip jars go nowhere near staff etc.... Staff who leave don't get paid...

He's had two bits of interest from national insurance companies today, so hopefully something will come out of that.

My blood is boiling.
Tips are interesting. He should learn to encourage direct tipping, and learn a little about the tronkmaster. He is learning, even a bad employer gives him knowledge.

Xaero

4,060 posts

214 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
He's having the piss taken out of him. He'll soon realise.

This new apprenticeship = cheap labour thing is terrible, and degrading people who actually have put in years under a good apprenticeship scheme and picked up skills to match an undergraduate degree.

surveyor

Original Poster:

17,768 posts

183 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
Jayessgee said:
surveyor said:
Well just picked him up.

He enjoyed it, but I like nothing that i hear.

Bloke pays cash at the end of month. High staff turnover. Apparently hours go missing. Tip jars go nowhere near staff etc.... Staff who leave don't get paid...

He's had two bits of interest from national insurance companies today, so hopefully something will come out of that.

My blood is boiling.
He sounds like a keen young man. This will just be a very temporary stop gap. Big respect to him. You must be one proud dad.
I am, and it's the first time in a longtime I've felt able to say that.

He has turned a corner... He knows we are pleased as I bought a third car at the weekend for him to learn to drive in that will become his once the test is passed...

Zoobeef

6,004 posts

157 months

Monday 7th July 2014
quotequote all
My sister currently works 120 hours per week and of the 3 weeks leave she should be having between now and Christmas, 2 have been taken off her because they can't afford the time off.

Come join the forces, it's awesome wobble