Looking for Parent's Opinions on Kid's First Jobs

Parent Cafe
21

<p>“Most sales management guidelines say that the opportunity to work more hours (i.e. be paid for more hours) should be the reward for experience, in addition to a small increase. Lots of teens don’t see that as a reward though!”</p>

<p>It’s not a reward for most because they are balancing work with being fulltime students. The best workers more than likely also are students who have good grades because such students also would be responsible and organized. They wouldn’t want to compromise their grades by working more.</p>

<p>I agree with the person who suggested that a 200 hour training period before giving a raise is too long for good people of any age who are working a parttime job. One you see that they know the job, then they should get the raise. </p>

<p>Lots of supervisors make the mistake of trying to treat everyone equally, which is what would happen if an excellent worker gets their raise at the same time that a person who is a slower learner gets theirs. This kind of treatment demoralizes the best workers and gives the message that their inferior work is perfectly fine. </p>

<p>Give people raises that reflect the quality of their work. This also will help you hold on to the best workers.</p>

22

<p>I limit the teens I hire to 10 hours until they are taking hold … and then increase it to no more than 15. Works for most of them, but some want 30 right away and will go get a second job and then crash and burn!</p>

<p>I agree that 200 hours is a really long time, especially at 10 hours a week. I’m actually thinking about no more than 6 weeks at which point they either are useful or not. </p>

<p>I’m reminded of one young lady, who was actually fairly good (but not outstandingly superior to the others), but needed a lot of time off schedule. Then she wanted a raise because she had a dollar amount she needed to earn by a specific date. If she only worked her scheduled hours, at the given rate, she would have exceeded her required earnings!</p>

<p>A lot of the businesses in town won’t hire anyone under 18. I’ll start a kid a 16, but no younger. The 15s are legal to hire, with restrictions, but they never ever work out. The commitment is too much.</p>