Is having your children work acceptable at a family business?

[Hotmail]

I know someone who used to employ his underage kid and, long story short, the boy died in a car accident.

He was sent to get groceries for his pa's bakery, only for a massive Toyota to come at full speed, hitting him, splitting his body in half as it flew across the road and his guts splattered over the sidewalk. His panicking mother came down to the road to find his dead, destroyed body covered in blood and brain bits; her breathless crying and incredible emotional pain at the loss of her child was kind of heartbreaking, to say the least.

It wasn't a pretty sight. Fortunately, I had a bottle of Johnson's lotion which I used to rub on my sore crocolisk nipples. But my opinion on this topic remains the same: no, too dangerous.

[Sunseeker]

No. There are child labor laws for a reason. A child being a family member does not grant you an exception.

[Appelgren]

Yes. Its normal. Ofcourse its fkn normal. How is this even a question?

Any sane person would think its ok to teach your kids about responsibility and morals by putting them in your trade.

These forums...

[Irian]

Yes. The main reason (among multiple, to be fair...) that it's not acceptable for companies to employ children is that companies don't often have the employee's best interest at heart and manipulating children is extremely easy to do. Children also can't really be expected to perform the same tasks as an adult can.
This is why things like baggers and cashiers can be 14 years old in many places. These things don't require much knowledge.

With a family company it's acceptable to assume that the parents have the child's best interests in mind and know what they are and aren't capable of. This isn't always the case of course but it's very easy to see why it's a different scenario when your parents are your employers.
Honestly I find that kind of stuff heartening. It's a good way to prepare a kid for having a work ethic at a young age. As long as they're not being dragged into it or forced (and most kids are not) I see nothing wrong with it.

[Doctor Amadeus]

Only if you’re against affirmative action. I’m for it so I’m not a hypocrite to saying someone shouldn’t hire family.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Most places have obvious rules for that. I see no issue with it as long as it's within reason. You obviously can't work your child to the bone, but giving them menial tasks is fine, anything beats being raised by the TV/iPad like most kids today.

Most cultures experienced farming as the backbone of their selfsustainablity in the past, I would be surprised if the US had no laws because of that alone.

Edit: https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/yo...exemptionsflsa

[Aggrophobic]

Not really. If they want to, for the fun of it then it's ok but forcing them to work is a big NO.

[Cosmic Janitor]

No. There are child labor laws for a reason. A child being a family member does not grant you an exception.

It actually does.

[Waynhim]

We have probably all been to a business or two where the young kids are working along side their parents. Their taking orders or making food. Working right beside their parents. By choice, its unclear. It begs the question, should this be allowed? Personally I don't think so. I was in a restaurant the other day and the kids were working after school instead of being able to just be kids. I think it happens far too often and needs to start being addressed. Sure, if they are 15 let them work if they want. But younger then that, and they shouldn't be there. It also needs to be by their choice, not being forced upon them.

This is talking from a legal perspective for the most part. Could also be ethical.

My parents had a small groceries store, and I started helping out pre-school by putting price-stamps on the vares and the like, later I was an errand boy, delivering groceries to old widows/infirm. Started working at the local ship yard and the local fish landing company about age of 15. Worked all summer until I graduated from college and worked two jobs until I was 35'ish.

I'm personally thankful for the opportunity my parents gave me, it gave me good work ethics/moral. I see zero downside to it because I know I'd wasted the time if not. Also made me debt free by the age of 40, (mortage/student loan/car/motorbike)

[Eldar45]

Depends. If you take your kids to work during summer and ask them to do things to help out (Which my dad did) is fine. If you force them to do the work of a person that works there for the hours they are there then that is probably not okay.

He didn't trust me with a babysitter and wanted to at least instill some kind of work ethic early, so when I was old enough he would take me with him to work. Mostly I'd sit in a back room with my grandparents and watch movies and stuff. If he needed something easy done he would ask me to do it. This was when I was like 8? ish.

[Minikin]

Holy hyperbole. You guys make it sound so bad. I worked at my family business when I was a kid, and it was never constant work until much later. I helped out where I could or did homework or just hung out with my parents.

No idea why it's being made to look like some phobia.

- - - Updated - - -

My parents had a small groceries store, and I started helping out pre-school by putting price-stamps on the vares and the like, later I was an errand boy, delivering groceries to old widows/infirm. Started working at the local ship yard and the local fish landing company about age of 15. Worked all summer until I graduated from college and worked two jobs until I was 35'ish.

I'm personally thankful for the opportunity my parents gave me, it gave me good work ethics/moral. I see zero downside to it because I know I'd wasted the time if not. Also made me debt free by the age of 40, (mortage/student loan/car/motorbike)

Yeap exactly this. I helped them with small stuff initially like just moving things or throwing out the trash (engineering firm). Then later got involved more and opened mine own. Great experience and helped me out tons. Now I got my own business besides my general work. First house at 27 and Lambo at 31.

[PACOX]

The amount of time I spent on chores as a child probably would've been better spent in a family business. Wish I got paid for my chores.

[Every Pwny]

How many kids would rather not go to school but are forced to anyway? Work, chores and school can all be good for them it's not like they want to do those things usually, but they are the kids and you are the parent. Reading through this thread though you would think parents are sending their children to a coal mines for 16 hour days to get black lung.

[Mormolyce]

I don't think much of it, personally. I knew a girl in a big finance company I worked for previously - really good at her job, highly respected, good career prospects. One day she left out of the blue because her family wanted her to work in the family business (I think it was a corner store or something). I have no idea why anyone would say yes to that, but that's "family first" I guess. Yeesh.

[Cosmic Janitor]

How many kids would rather not go to school but are forced to anyway? Work, chores and school can all be good for them it's not like they want to do those things usually, but they are the kids and you are the parent. Reading through this thread though you would think parents are sending their children to a coal mines for 16 hour days to get black lung.

Ironically letting your kids work in the mines is one of things that you explicitly can't do (along with other hazardous and fabrication jobs), but most other things are actually allowed. I wonder if that is because most here are just spoiled city kids, they were flat out too wealthy to even know kids that had to help out in their parents business, or some other reason.

[Ghostpanther]

I worked out in the farm fields starting at the age of 6. One of the very few people nowadays who can say, they have hand picked cotton. I kept working in the farms, ( family of migrant farm workers. ) up until I joined the Army at age 17. Never felt like I was being abused and I helped the family survive.

[Seirith]

I see no issue with it as long as the child is not doing something dangerous. I have always worked in my families antique business and for my grandmother while she was alive doing yard work. I hated the yard work but I survived just fine and it taught me a good work ethic and earned me a little money as well.

[Ghostpanther]

I see no issue with it as long as the child is not doing something dangerous. I have always worked in my families antique business and for my grandmother while she was alive doing yard work. I hated the yard work but I survived just fine and it taught me a good work ethic and earned me a little money as well.

I agree with this. I think all states have laws concerning age mins for minors to be able to use farm machinery. But helping put up hay bales in barn lofts the old fashion way? Nope. Physical ability to do it is the only restriction.

[Lochton]

We have probably all been to a business or two where the young kids are working along side their parents. Their taking orders or making food. Working right beside their parents. By choice, its unclear. It begs the question, should this be allowed? Personally I don't think so. I was in a restaurant the other day and the kids were working after school instead of being able to just be kids. I think it happens far too often and needs to start being addressed. Sure, if they are 15 let them work if they want. But younger then that, and they shouldn't be there. It also needs to be by their choice, not being forced upon them.

This is talking from a legal perspective for the most part. Could also be ethical.

I voted other, for it is depending on the business.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

So long as it doesn't negatively impact their education and they still have time to be children.