Employing a 16 year old
- Thread starter Bushman
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In general, the only real difference I make is due to the nature of my business vs their age. From my college lecturer background, I know exactly what 16 -18's are like, and this isn't a problem for me (but might well cause their parents a few sleepless nights) but this still means that to a degree, any employer of sub-18 year olds also means you taking on a kind of parental responsibility. They're under 18. They're not responsible, and need, er, guidance in things 'adults' take for granted.
Perhaps an explanation on how things can go wrong - and a bit of light hearted reading - skip this if you wish.
I got repeated requests from a parent of a 14 year old girl, I said no. She tried again at 15 and I said no. At 16, the day she asked again, was the day I realised I was one person short for the summer season, so I said yes. I needed a girl. The nature of what we do does give us the scope to select people by sex. A female who takes their clothes off in the wings and needs help getting into costume needs this done by somebody appropriate, and I needed a female. She's also a dancer. This means, almost universally she will also be scatty, bend herself continually when 'resting', but also have a knack of picking things up quickly. Dancers have negatives by nature too, but a bit of yelling usually sorts that.
So I have a new 16 year old in the crew. First few shows are fine, then we get a new show in. The advertising means it's going to be a Chippendales style show. Good looking fellas taking their clothes off, the 99% female audience screaming and yelling. The lights go off just as the last piece of underwear comes off, and on to the next bit. I figured for a 16 year old, fine.
However - this was a poory produced and far steamier show, and frankly, suitable for over 25's in a nightclub when drunk, and NOT in a 1400 seater theatre. First act did the routines and the lights did NOT go off and there was an amount of er, whirling around from the cast. 16 year old smiling and watching avidly from the wings. She mentioned she'd never seen anyone do that before - frankly, neither had I. I felt awkward and oddly protective, so I sent her upstage to get some costumes ready behind the scenes. I didn't know that was where they were using various tubes and pumps to enhance the important bits. She still managed fine - but when I found out, I really didn't like it at all. As I'd had the conversations with her mother - I told her what had happened and she was OK with it.
However, when working the rosters I did find myself putting her on the 'nice' shows, and taking her out of the 'adult' ones - and she found this very unfair. Actually she found my attitude so strict, from that moment she called me "dad", and never again, Paul. Next season, if she comes back, she's 18, so I can stop being concerned - but under 18, I just had my own sense of right and wrong - applied perhaps unfairly to her. Under 18 - makes it my responsibility when she's working.
This is of course an extreme case, and just because of the weirdness of my business, but the other thing I remember that definitely WAS my responsibility was in a show that had under 16's in it (think sound of music). These kids are controlled by a strangle hold of regulation. Licensed chaperones, rules on hours, rules on toilets, rules on contact with other members of the cast and crew, and I had the very awkward conversation as to why my 16 year old could not chat to a boy 6 months younger, without somebody else being present. The 15 year old, who at school, could have been a friend - was banned from being alone and unsupervised with the 16 year old, free of the licensing system.
The guy who runs the cafe employs 16 year olds with no issues whatsoever apart from the usual lack of responsibility and odd attitude to timekeeping his ones seem to have.
I rather liked the official advice that is actually wrong when you read the bit about my area of work. The rules in England and Wales changed recently, and they kind of have changed the guidance but not got it quite right - which in my experience is exactly what all the Councils are doing. Re-writing their rules but fudging them. It will settle down soon. Northern Ireland have not changed their rules whatsoever. That's a different subject though - sorry.
Perhaps an explanation on how things can go wrong - and a bit of light hearted reading - skip this if you wish.
I got repeated requests from a parent of a 14 year old girl, I said no. She tried again at 15 and I said no. At 16, the day she asked again, was the day I realised I was one person short for the summer season, so I said yes. I needed a girl. The nature of what we do does give us the scope to select people by sex. A female who takes their clothes off in the wings and needs help getting into costume needs this done by somebody appropriate, and I needed a female. She's also a dancer. This means, almost universally she will also be scatty, bend herself continually when 'resting', but also have a knack of picking things up quickly. Dancers have negatives by nature too, but a bit of yelling usually sorts that.
So I have a new 16 year old in the crew. First few shows are fine, then we get a new show in. The advertising means it's going to be a Chippendales style show. Good looking fellas taking their clothes off, the 99% female audience screaming and yelling. The lights go off just as the last piece of underwear comes off, and on to the next bit. I figured for a 16 year old, fine.
However - this was a poory produced and far steamier show, and frankly, suitable for over 25's in a nightclub when drunk, and NOT in a 1400 seater theatre. First act did the routines and the lights did NOT go off and there was an amount of er, whirling around from the cast. 16 year old smiling and watching avidly from the wings. She mentioned she'd never seen anyone do that before - frankly, neither had I. I felt awkward and oddly protective, so I sent her upstage to get some costumes ready behind the scenes. I didn't know that was where they were using various tubes and pumps to enhance the important bits. She still managed fine - but when I found out, I really didn't like it at all. As I'd had the conversations with her mother - I told her what had happened and she was OK with it.
However, when working the rosters I did find myself putting her on the 'nice' shows, and taking her out of the 'adult' ones - and she found this very unfair. Actually she found my attitude so strict, from that moment she called me "dad", and never again, Paul. Next season, if she comes back, she's 18, so I can stop being concerned - but under 18, I just had my own sense of right and wrong - applied perhaps unfairly to her. Under 18 - makes it my responsibility when she's working.
This is of course an extreme case, and just because of the weirdness of my business, but the other thing I remember that definitely WAS my responsibility was in a show that had under 16's in it (think sound of music). These kids are controlled by a strangle hold of regulation. Licensed chaperones, rules on hours, rules on toilets, rules on contact with other members of the cast and crew, and I had the very awkward conversation as to why my 16 year old could not chat to a boy 6 months younger, without somebody else being present. The 15 year old, who at school, could have been a friend - was banned from being alone and unsupervised with the 16 year old, free of the licensing system.
The guy who runs the cafe employs 16 year olds with no issues whatsoever apart from the usual lack of responsibility and odd attitude to timekeeping his ones seem to have.
I rather liked the official advice that is actually wrong when you read the bit about my area of work. The rules in England and Wales changed recently, and they kind of have changed the guidance but not got it quite right - which in my experience is exactly what all the Councils are doing. Re-writing their rules but fudging them. It will settle down soon. Northern Ireland have not changed their rules whatsoever. That's a different subject though - sorry.
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