working for cash in hand at car wash

Sportacus

My son is 16 and got a summer job at a car wash that operates at a local supermarket. They are paying him £6/hour in cash, he doesn't seem to have any written contract, and they call him when they need him to work. He seems happy working there, and I've used the car wash myself and it always seemed like a professional operation (been running for over 10 years now).

I told my son that he should insist on a written contract, payments to his bank account instead of cash, and fixed hours, but he seems reluctant to push on this.

Any suggestions?

Undervalued

Sportacus wrote: »

My son is 16 and got a summer job at a car wash that operates at a local supermarket. They are paying him £6/hour in cash, he doesn't seem to have any written contract, and they call him when they need him to work. He seems happy working there, and I've used the car wash myself and it always seemed like a professional operation (been running for over 10 years now).

I told my son that he should insist on a written contract, payments to his bank account instead of cash, and fixed hours, but he seems reluctant to push on this.

Any suggestions?

And in the real world......

Seriously, if he does that then the work will almost certainly dry up. He is not going to be earning anywhere near the tax threshold unless he is leaving school and starting a "proper" job at the end of the holidays.

Any come back for not doing things properly will fall on the business, not him. Yes, it probably is not being done properly but I strongly suspect it is those terms or nothing at all.

he doesn't seem to have any written contract, and they call him when they need him to work

Well even if he did it would be a zero hour one so it wouldn't be "fixed hours". Technically he is entitled to "a written statement of the main particulars of employment" (i.e a contract) but that only has to be provided within the first two months, by then he will have left!

Brynsam

Sportacus wrote: »

I told my son that he should insist on a written contract, payments to his bank account instead of cash, and fixed hours, but he seems reluctant to push on this.

Any suggestions?

Yes: take note of your son's sensible approach. He isn't entitled to insist on payments to a bank account rather than cash (nothing unlawful about the latter - up to the employer to deal with any tax or NI issues, although unlikely there'll be any given his modest earnings level), nor fixed hours.

z1a

As has been said, he can insist on whatever he likes, they can then insist that they no longer need him.

Les79

There is a contract in place. It is just a verbal one.

Why are you wanting to insist on a contract for a summer job? It will only be worded in a way which confirms what is currently taking place (zero hour contract).

Why, also, do you want payments to a bank account? Cash is an acceptable method of payment.

Fixed hours? Why? He can ask but they are not obliged to provide them.

I'm just wondering what your motivation is here? If you don't have a decent explanation then all I can say is, yes, you should listen to your son RE: his reluctance! Sounds like he knows full well that doing what you proposed would rock the boat and potentially end up in no more work.

I'd suggest that you view it like this:

- Decent wage for a 16 year old (I think their min wage is £4.20)
- Paid work experience
- Possible reference (you should be advising him to speak to boss about potential future reference)
- A stepping stone to a more "above board" job when 18.
- Even if backhanders are being done to your son, I'd say let that one slide! One thing giving a 16 year old a bit of summer money and another thing someone dodging tax/NI 12 months a year.

PasturesNew

It's not his risk. This isn't a fully grown man with a mortgage/house/family to support who might get dragged through the courts for not paying tax - it's a young lad making a few extra bob in the holidays.

If there is anything "dodgy" going on, he's untouchable as his earnings won't reach the tax paying threshold in any case... all penalties will fall upon the employer.

Leave it.

theoretica

Sportacus wrote: »

I told my son that he should insist on a written contract, payments to his bank account instead of cash, and fixed hours.

Why? What do you think would benefit him through having these for this particular job?

ACG

If you do that he will have no job.
Why not just congratulate him on getting a job and leave it at that?

There are obviously tax issues and rights issues (no pension/holiday pay/sick pay etc) but for a 16 year old, he wont be bothered about any of that and he has something to put on his CV for the next job.

He has done more than I had at 16.

motorguy

Sportacus wrote: »

My son is 16 and got a summer job at a car wash that operates at a local supermarket. They are paying him £6/hour in cash, he doesn't seem to have any written contract, and they call him when they need him to work. He seems happy working there, and I've used the car wash myself and it always seemed like a professional operation (been running for over 10 years now).

I told my son that he should insist on a written contract, payments to his bank account instead of cash, and fixed hours, but he seems reluctant to push on this.

Any suggestions?

Oh come on, get real here.

Clearly they want labour they can call on at short notice and pay cash in hand rather than put it through the books.

If you make him insist on a written contract, payments to his bank account and fixed hours, he can kiss goodbye to the job.

TELLIT01

At £6 per hour he is earning way above the minimum wage for his age. There is nothing illegal in being paid cash, nor is there anything illegal in not having fixed hours, or a fixed number of hours per week. Zero hour contracts are common in the adult workplace never mind those for a lad of 16.

He is working, he is being well paid for his age, he is happy, his boss is happy. Why are you trying to stir things up and probably lose him his job?

Savvy_Sue

the one thing that isn't clear is whether he is receiving an itemised payslip with his cash payments. That's the one thing he should possibly be asking for if it's not already in place ...