Turning down neighbor’s job offer?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
Our neighbor runs a moderately successful small bakery business out of her home. She sells her goods at craft fairs, festivals, etc. She approached me this weekend and asked if our 14yo is looking for work, because she’s looking to hire another person to run booths with her. I said I wasn’t sure the legalities and I’d have to look into where she could obtain a work permit during the summer months, etc. She cut me off and said she pays under the table, but pays really well. She said DD could easily make $200 on a Saturday. But then she started saying DD could also work at the kitchen, helping with baking and doing dishes. When she said that, alarm bells went off in my mind, but I said I’d talk to DD and DH.
Being paid under the table would make her ineligible for Worker’s Compensation in the event she’s burnt while baking, or otherwise injured while working. It’s easy money, and I think she baited and switched by presenting it as DD would be working a booth, but I get the feeling she really plans to stick her at the sink doing dishes and hopes the easy $200 cash will lure her in to stay. I don’t feel comfortable with the off the books nature of the position, and feel they will take advantage of DD, who really just only recently turned 14 and isn’t even in HS yet, hasn’t had a job. Do I just say no, we’ve decided she’s not ready to work? And what happens when she finally gets a job? DH is close-ish with the husband. |
Anonymous
|
You’re overthinking this, really. I’d call this helping a neighbor and sometimes they give you a tip, and a good tip at that.
|
Anonymous
| Does your daughter want to do this? My son gets offered dog walking or babysitting by neighbors an I expect it to be under the table. I would be fine with it as long as your child is fine with it |
Anonymous
| Burnt while baking? Does she not know how to use an oven mitt? |
Anonymous
| What is wrong with baking and doing dishes? |
Anonymous
|
Just say no. Your neighbor will move onto her next victim. She's not thinking about this as much as you are!
My daughter is 14, and no, she's not doing that sort of job. She has occasional pet-sitting and dog-walking gigs. My 19 year old son has a teaching assistant summer job and an internship. At 14 he wasn't working. None of this needs to happen. Let your child enjoy her summer off. Goodness knows they work them hard in high school. |
Anonymous
| Sounds great to me, I'd be thrilled to find something like this for my kid. |
Anonymous
| Also, what's wrong with doing dishes? Your kid is 14, they don't get to start at the top. |
Anonymous
LMAO! 
|
Anonymous
| Just buy longer mitts and teach her not to stick her hand in the oven. |
Anonymous
IKR! Sounds amazing! |
Anonymous
| Working in a restaurant and the rules that govern those jobs have changed since I was that age. If you are under 16, most restaurants don't let you do anything where you could hurt yourself. That means things like no knives, even to the point of no washing dishes under hot water. Maybe it's extreme, but that's the life we are living now. So 14 and 15 year olds don't have the same access to summer and PT jobs anymore like the old days. I would say it's up to your child to decide for themselves what they want to do, personally mine would say no. |
Anonymous
| I still have an old dish washing injury I never recovered from. |
Anonymous
+1 Sounds great. |
Anonymous
| My ds has a job like this. $200 for a day's work for a teen is excellent. I don't fully understand your issue here. It's not so different from a babysitting job and everyone pays under the table for that. |