low wages for hairdressers! is it legal

loopy_lass

my daugher is 15 and gets a measly £1.56 per hour at her satuday job in a hairdressers, it appears to be the "going rate" and i cant find anything which says there is a minimum wage for <16's does anyone know?

I try and balance it out with the fact she and i get "free" hair do's worth £49 a time (cut n colour) so offset that, and she gets free training, and the woman is sending her to college next year to qualify. (she could go to college full time anyway). I figure in a way all she does is wash hair, take colours off, sweep hair & make coffee.. so on the big scale of things its not a lot, but if she wasnt there they would sure notice.

Her mate works in a cafe & gets near on £5 an hour but states she gets no training, its a dead end job per se & she has to take orders, take food out, work out bills, do the till etc etc.

am i whinging about nothing?????? or just being tight?

loops

juno

There isn't a minimum wage for under 16's.

Hoopylass

I worked in a hairdressers when I was 16 and I got £60 a week (im 24 now). Unless your daughter is wanting a career in hairdressing then i would suggest that she looks for something else. Even when she is qualified (which by the way will take a lot longer if she goes day release) the wages arent that great unless yo work in a top of the range salon.

skylight

Crikey!

My first job in shoe shoe when I was 14 (lied and said I was 15!) 18 years (bl88dy hell!) ago, I got £1.47 per hour!

My SIL works in hairdressing and like Hoopylass, the wages aren't great! She went freelance in the end - does mobile and gets triple the money now.

yoshizakura

I've been a hairdresser for 14 years. My experiences have all been that if the boss can get away with it, they will. When I first started we had a saturday girl. She worked from 9am to 5pm and took away £5.
At the same place I took home £55 a week at 18 years old (1994). Don't forget I was fully qualified.
It took till I was 24 years old to get over £200 a week!! (2000)
If your daughter loves hairdressing give her your blessing. If it's just a job she wants tell her to find something better paid.
Pease remember next time your getting your hair done, we appreciate tips more than you know.

loopy_lass

she loves hairdressing, its all she wants to do, but is not happy about money - i guess if its wot she wants to do she will ave to get thro this naff period. n sub her!!!!! no change there then..

thanks for info

loops

Emmzi

.. or try another salon... she's 'experienced' now

loopy_lass

Emmzi wrote:

.. or try another salon... she's 'experienced' now

this is her second salon an is a friends who will train her and is hopin 2 open other salons & a training acadamy so my daughet will hopefully be in "charge" of some of this....

so maybe its worth hanging on, ive rung a few other salons n they pay the same rubbish rate...

loops

soolin

It does seem unfair that children get such a low wage. My 17 year old son recently left his weekend job as they were only paying £3.00 an hour and the policy was not to emply children past a certain age in case they got close to the age in which they triggered adult rate.

Unfortunately he hasn't found anything else since to tide him over until uni and our local job centre say there is nothing at all available.

However the good news for the OP is that there is a minimum wage of £3 for children once they reach a certain age. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/nmw/nmw_abou.htm

**Compulsory School age

In England and Wales: a person is no longer of compulsory school age after the last Friday of June of the school year in which their 16th birthday occurs.

starlite_2

eek! thats awful..

i'll be sure to give a healthy tip to the girl that washes my hair next time...

good luck to her!

loopy_lass

thanks starlite, a tip for the girl who washes your hair and brings you tea or coffee on a saturday is always very welcome. My daughter says i got a tip today mom so it paid for my lunch.... bless... so yes please everyone, think of the girl/boy who washes your hair... and is on £1+ an hour...

it isnt just washing hair by the way, they have to know how to use the right massage movements, which shampoo and conditioner to use (VERY important especially if your having a perm or a colour - as using the wrong one can make a perm not take well etc) they also have to be able to take your colour off properly so you have no colour marks around your hairline.


thanks

loops