Opinions please - my son's paper round - is this a fair wage?

captainhaggis

I used to be the whipping boy for a newsagent and, whenever anyone called in sick or just didn't show up, I'd end up doing their route too. On top of my own.

I used to get about 5p per paper per day and I'd do about 45 papers a day. That was my own route. I got the same rate for the others I took on.

So really, I think they've set a precedent for your son's earnings and paid him fairly well for the old round and now that he's got double the amount of papers, despite the fact that he's NOW probably earning an average paper boy's wage, it appears (understandably) to you that he's being cheated.

If I were you I'd have a word. Don't push it though - I doubt your son would get that sort of money from a newsagents for doing papers. He was being paid very well in the past but now he's just on an average wage.

doodlesmum

We live in a rural village our son does a paper round he is 13yrs it takes him around 20mins to take 21 papers around on his bike if it is nasty weather then i do run him in the car he gets £15 a week for doing Mon-Sat he wanted to earn his own pocket money and i think it is an ideal way to teach him to be sensible with money.
I have no idea what the going rate is but to me i think if a paper round is what a teenager whats to do to earn so money then it is a good idea

Money_maker

I used to do a round when I was a young girl, down to the newsagents for around 5.30am. Chat with the regulars, mark up the papers and out of the door before 6am.

Pay was £3.50 week (mon - sat) with £1.50 for the sunday round. Can't remember how many papers but it was always worth starting off quickly to get the weight in the bag to more manageable.

Your sons problem is that his round starts (I presume) just under a mile away from home. He either needs wheels or a closer round. Pay seems okay for a teen although if you don't think it's enough I'm sure there's many others (perhaps who live closer) that would take it on. Can he swop with someone who covers his estate?

Is your son happy with his wage, or is it just you?

kazd

My son is 15, he started off with 7 papers a day six days a week and his wages were made up to £1 per day ie £6 per week. He now has 17 papers per day, six days a week, he get 6p per paper plus a £2 per week bonus so he get £8.12 per week.

Nevsy

My son started after one of these promotions about 3 years ago and was getting about £8 a week for 35 papers 6 nights a week,Soon found after the initial offer period had passed, that people gradually dropped out and the round got smaller.
On his own initiative he bought a 99p box of christmas cards and posted one to each of his customers wishing them a happy christmas-He had £150 in christmas tips!-Sir Alan watch out!
Doing the paper round also stood him in good stead for when he went for his next part time job.

PolishBigSpender

Jesus, you people actually quite happily let your child be taken advantage of for what is slave labour wages?

Child labour is quite rightfully banned in Poland - children should be concentrating on school, not earning sweatshop 'wages'!

JPS29

Or "Sweetshop" wages:rotfl:

woody01

tracyk wrote: »

Yes - it's 15 mins walk to the first house; then he starts delivering & 15 mins back from the last house - quite a wide spread round too...

If it were 17 houses on our estate it would be different...

Buy him a bike then!

Really though, this thread must be a wind up.

PolishBigSpender wrote: »

Jesus, you people actually quite happily let your child be taken advantage of for what is slave labour wages?

Child labour is quite rightfully banned in Poland - children should be concentrating on school, not earning sweatshop 'wages'!

Who cares about Poland?

And if the Polish kids are such scholars, how come they all grow up to be plumbers or washing your windscreen on the Tottenham COurt Road?

henpecked1

your son needs to see the bigger picture.

When I did a round at 13, I did a deal with the newsagent got £10 per conversion, i.e. i found him new customers.

What your son needs to do is strike a deal with his newsagent to get £10 per new signup and ona saturday morning go door to door knocking.

Pete111

It's posts like these that make me stop and ask myself

"What would MSE79 do?"

I think the answer to the OP's query is therefore simple. His son should go on the sick and then file a grievance...not forgetting to then go on MSE and declare the start of the revolution (making sure the capitalist running dogs know you really really mean it this time)

Sorted.