• folkrav ( folkrav@lemmy.ca ) 
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    2 years ago

    Too young for the concept of doing work in exchange for something? No, I don’t think so. There’s no minimum age to learn how to do something, for the most part, if the interest is there.

    However, those lower-wage jobs tend to be where a lot of the worker rights abuse tends to happen, and I absolutely think it’s way too young for them to realize if/when it’s happening, or to be in a position to properly defend themselves if they do. Sure, parental guidance and all, but let’s say my experience working with all kinds of parents in day camps, as a ski instructor and in elementary schools, didn’t make me very optimistic about a lot of them really being in a position to protect their children at work.

    I’ve also honestly yet to really see it happening where it has 0 impact on their schooling, but that’s rather anecdotal…

  • MapleEngineer ( MapleEngineer@lemmy.ca ) 
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    2 years ago

    I started working full time during the summer the year I turned 13. I was working for my family’s company and my safety was always the most important thing.

    In the current environment of the exploration of workers I feel that it is unacceptable for children to work for any company other than a family company or a small company that will not exploit them and that will protect them.

      • nyan ( nyan@lemmy.cafe ) 
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        2 years ago

        Small companies vary widely in their morals. The best ones might indeed protect and teach, rather than exploit, a young worker. The worst ones . . . are worse than any large company, and you can’t always tell from outside which type you’ve got. And family companies can be just as bad as any other small company, alas.

        • sunzu ( sunzu@kbin.run ) Banned
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          2 years ago

          I am sure some employees of mega corps also happy with their treatment too

          The point being is that it is an exception to the general savagery of “legal persons”

        • cygnus ( cygnus@lemmy.ca ) 
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          2 years ago

          Remember that this was YOUR family’s company. Family businesses writ large definitely don’t have a good reputation as far as their non-relative workers are concerned. At least with a megacorporation you can expect some guardrails that will limit their abuses.

          • sunzu ( sunzu@kbin.run ) Banned
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            2 years ago

            megacorporation you can expect some guardrails that will limit their abuses

            i would not expect that tbh but yeah megacorps are serious about managing their liability, they will generally avoid crime unless they can get away with it.

            most small biz owners are too stupid to understand liability so they just do as they please which is generally either a crime or breach of various civil laws and regulations.

        • sunzu ( sunzu@kbin.run ) Banned
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          2 years ago

          At least I know who I am deal with and able to fight the good fight

          It is a lot harder being fucked while living a delusion IMHO

    • snooggums ( snooggums@midwest.social ) 
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      2 years ago

      Agreed in pricipal because family businesses are frequently how knowledge is passed from generation to generation, but family and small businesses can also exploit and not protect children and still need oversight on safety.

  • Kichae ( Kichae@lemmy.ca ) 
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    2 years ago

    “Are 13 year olds too young to exploit monetarily?”

    “Are 13 year olds too young to take on the glorious privilege of earning their own money?”

    Hey look, it’s propaganda in action, right there on the CBC.

  • IninewCrow ( ininewcrow@lemmy.ca ) 
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    2 years ago

    How about having a controversial debate about how much companies, corporations and business owners should pay employees in any job in order to make it so that everyone is capable of paying to keep themselves alive, fulfilled and happy.

  • PenguinTD ( PenguinTD@lemmy.ca ) 
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    2 years ago

    okay, let me ask the real question:

    • do they also get paid at the same standard(minimum wage, benefit, etc) like other worker?
    • do they also get CPP/EI contribution from employer? And can they take EI benefit when laid off?
    • do they also get to contribute to RRSP/TFSA? TFSA is after 18 currently, so they can’t even save their wage compare to other adult workers.
    • when they do perform well, will they get evaluated and promoted the same way? ie, a 15 yo manager at fast food chain and paid the same wage as a manager.
    • I started working at 14 (in Ontario). For my first job:

      • No, there is a “student wage” that is less than minimum wage
      • EI yes, CPP no
      • No
      • Only if there are promotions available at the part-time level (my “promotion” increased my pay by $0.50)

      After 2 years of working there, I got a $0.05 raise. Yes, 5 cents. The biggest increase in my pay came when the minimum wage was increased in Ontario, which also increased the student wage.

      • dankm ( dankm@lemmy.ca ) 
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        2 years ago

        Since this post is about Saskatchewan, I’ll add that Saskatchewan doesn’t have a student wage, just one minimum wage.

        It also happens to be about $1.20 less than Ontario’s student wage. I like my province, but man does it have its issues.

          • dankm ( dankm@lemmy.ca ) 
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            2 years ago

            I would have, but my first minimum wage-type job was after high school. I didn’t make enough to pay into CPP, but I don’t know if that’s a universal truth for younger workers or just because I didn’t work more than 10 hours a week.

            Also fun fact, going back go my original comment about wage: Saskatchewan’s October increase to its general minimum wage won’t catch up to Ontario’s current student wage. Things are cheaper here, yes, but things aren’t (much if any) cheaper in Saskatoon or Regina than in London.

            • Is Regina at least better to live in? London is the armpit of Ontario. I hated it there, lol. But there is an excellent shawarma place near the college (Hadi’s).

              Edit: Just found out Hadi’s is closed and there’s a new shawarma place there now. :( Hope Hadi is doing well.

              • dankm ( dankm@lemmy.ca ) 
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                2 years ago

                I’m probably not the best person to ask. I’ve never lived in Regina, but from visiting it’s similar to Saskatoon, except it has a man-made lake instead of a nice river valley. It’s a nice enough city, but it’s also clearly a government town. As for London, I’ve never been. I have family there, and part of my family moved to Saskatchewan from London over 100 years ago.

    • psvrh ( psvrh@lemmy.ca ) 
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      2 years ago

      “We clearly haven’t made the working class desperate enough yet. Let’s have immigrants and students fight over jobs to make everything even nastier!”

      I’m sure this won’t in any way result in a huge cohort of angry underemployed young people. No siree.

      I’m also starting to think that businesspeople aren’t the Galtian ubermenchen that they think they are, given that they by and large can’t plan more than six months in advance.

    • dgilbert ( dgilbert@lemmy.ca ) 
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      2 years ago

      I also had to do farm labour (picking fruit) before I was legally allowed to work at 14. I was taken advantage of (financially) that whole summer - underpaid, and occasionally worked an entire day and got stiffed outright. I’ve never stopped working since then (I’m in my early 50s), aside from a few months of unemployment between jobs that was more stressful than working. I’ll likely have to work until I die.

      Fuck that shit.

      My kids are 18 and 20 and as long as they’re in school, it can stay that way. Once you start, you don’t stop. I’ll let them enjoy it as long as they can.

    • corsicanguppy ( corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca ) 
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      2 years ago

      I was working summer jobs doing farm labour since before I was a teenager (and I’m not that old), so I’m gonna say that it’s fine that 13 year olds are working.

      So, based on your summertime work, it’s okay for kids to work year-round?

    • BCsven ( BCsven@lemmy.ca ) 
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      2 years ago

      I worked at a farm around 12-13 saved enough to quit and buy my first computer, it was awesome. Then 13-14 working at a convienence store. I don’t see an issue working, you learn the actual value of time and money without ma and pa paying for everything. By very early 20s, I owned my own house, cars, motorcycles etc. Kids going from only school life to full time career have a terrible time adjusting to whar that life change is

        • BCsven ( BCsven@lemmy.ca ) 
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          2 years ago

          What exploitation angle? I was paid the same minimum wage an adult would get. And as a kid that spent tons of time outdoors with friends, exploring nature, kayaking etc, it really didn’t cut into that, as you were done your shift and still had 5-6 hours of daylight to enjoy the summer. If I wasn’t working I would have wasted that time warching rerun cartoons, you can only swim so much in the pool so much before your skin prunes. lol

            • BCsven ( BCsven@lemmy.ca ) 
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              2 years ago

              Oh, I know it happens in places, as forced labour, or poor families needing children to work. But I see it as a bonus if your are just a willing participant and paid the equivalent wages. And other countries people have gone into their tradeschool by 16. NA has a delayed entry into real life

                • BCsven ( BCsven@lemmy.ca ) 
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                  2 years ago

                  All good points, thanks for presenting them. My kids did the sport and volunteer route too, two of them chose to work after graduating highschool, but the other two chose to start early one at 11 delivering papers and the other at 13. They were both open and would alert us if any exploitation was happening, but I recognize some kids may not have the skills. My one daughter found working very enjoyable, a sense of purpose and earning their own paycheck. Annecdotally it set her ahead in life, at 20 she had saved enough and was able to buy an apartment in metro Vancouver…if you know prices here you can see how that is a huge achievement, she still had time for school, friends, movies and sports. For myself I would find that too busy, but some people enjoy it.

  • girlfreddy ( girlfreddy@lemmy.ca ) 
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    2 years ago

    50+ years ago when I was 12, I got my first job at an ice cream/burger stand making 0.75 cents per hour. The only downside was my creepy old boss who took great joy in pinching my non-existent breasts and child-sized ass.

    2 yrs later I started working at the local pizza joint (legal age to work was 14 back then).

    The real problem these days is owners who would abuse the privilege of having kids work for them. I mean you just know that’s gonna happen, esp under Shmoe’s ‘leadership’.