12 Year-olds Join labour force in Alberta

[vslayer]

its just that sort of "teenagers are immature" thinkning that stops us from getting jobs, and becoming more mature. i have been denied multiple jobs because of that discrimination.

PEOPLE should be dealt with on a case by case basis. saying that someone cannot do a job because they are a teenager or an old person is just the same as denying them the job because they are asian, or jewish, or female.

one of our complaints was that the girl was not able to serve you your beer, that is because of laws made by people with the same stereotypes. she probably drinks beer outside of work, but in the public eye she must adhere to discriminative laws.

since when have people turned mature ond responsible at the age of 18/21, never, there will always be those who wont be responsible enough to be trusted with the right to vote or drink for several years to come. and there will always be those who are responible enough at a much younger age.

people out here wher i live begin to drive as young as 7. but if they go near the city in the car, they will be arrested, no matter what their driving ability or knowledge of the road rules simply because they arent 15 yet.

all of this discrimation must end. both personal and legal, it is wrong to judge someone by their age

[mockingbird]

**Post Removed Due to Copyright Infringment**

Stupid canadian.

[fryingpan]

its just that sort of "teenagers are immature" thinkning that stops us from getting jobs, and becoming more mature. i have been denied multiple jobs because of that discrimination.

PEOPLE should be dealt with on a case by case basis. saying that someone cannot do a job because they are a teenager or an old person is just the same as denying them the job because they are asian, or jewish, or female.

one of our complaints was that the girl was not able to serve you your beer, that is because of laws made by people with the same stereotypes. she probably drinks beer outside of work, but in the public eye she must adhere to discriminative laws.

since when have people turned mature ond responsible at the age of 18/21, never, there will always be those who wont be responsible enough to be trusted with the right to vote or drink for several years to come. and there will always be those who are responible enough at a much younger age.

people out here wher i live begin to drive as young as 7. but if they go near the city in the car, they will be arrested, no matter what their driving ability or knowledge of the road rules simply because they arent 15 yet.

all of this discrimation must end. both personal and legal, it is wrong to judge someone by their age

Why not move to Ontario? Over here, we have a student wage that lets employers pay younger people less than adults. Employers actually prefer hiring younger students just so they can pay them this lower wage. I know a popular franchise (won't mention any names, Tim Hortons) who gives priority to those eligible for the student wage.

If you are lucky enough to live in an economy where there are more jobs than people, there is nothing wrong with letting a 12 year old work. So long as they are properly trained, and reasonably competent, there is no reason why they should suffer injuries. An education is important, but work experience is even more important. Unless the child is working 30 hours a week, there won't be an impact on grades. In fact, grades might actually improve since children are able to get out and interact with others.

For those parents who refuse your children the opportunity to work just so you can write them off as tax deductions, there is a special place in hell just for you.

[lost&outofcontrol]

I think the real reason that very young people are encouraged to work is that there is a demand. You know 'supply-demand'. They are filling low paying jobs that older kids or adults won't do. Or the job would be merely vacant for lack of people to do it.

In a country that promotes higher education such as Canada, I believe as more and more people move up the ladder technically, that leaves a void of unqualified personnel. Unlike the USA, we don't have Mexico to fill the entry level jobs and form a lower class in our 'classless' society.

Agree with it? I'm not sure.

If the job cannot be filed because it pays badly, that means the offered wage should be increased, you know, 'supply-demand'. By filling the position with kids, you are artificially keeping wages low. Unlike the US, we don't have a readily available workforce willing to accept lower than average wages to fill these positions, you know, 'supply-demand'.

[geoffrey]

Dear all,

Had my first experience with an'young labourer' today. My wife and I went to for fish&chips at a large Canadian chain (which shall remain nameless, but It isn't too hard to figure out...but the fact that it is a chain, albeit a franchised one, is quite relevant) that specializes in fish. We sat down, my wife ordered a glass of milk, and I ordered a pint of beer. The waitress said, a bit redfaced, "Um, I'm too young to serve you that, but I'll have the cook bring it out to you". (We found out, by overhearing a conversation with her and some friends she had there, that she was 13.) Not a big problem, but it got me thinking.

Now, some may call me 'biased', but I would prefer the term 'old-fashioned', but I don't think she should have been a server at that age. Her make-up suggested older(My wife commented that all she saw was make-up and teeth), and to have her serve a table of, say, guys that just came from Hooters or the peelers, and stopped in for a snack and some beers, is just asking for trouble. I worked in the service industry, (and did all the jobs, from cook, waiter, bartender, to eventually being kitchen manager and then 'facility manager' when the owner was away) The service industry, especially when booze is involved, is no place for an impressionable pre-teen. Waitresses suffer sexual abuse (inappropriate touching, commments that are both sexually and intellectually derogatory, attempts to 'pick them up' etc, although often fairly mild stuff) all the time.

Now, I was unhappy with the overall service (even though they were mostly minor things that annoyed us), but my wife and I thought "We can't really blame her, she can't possibly know some of the stuff and their ramifications that she did wrong". However, my wife and I only half-joked that we probably wouldn't go back to that particular location again.

I realize that this is just my opinion, but I think pre-teens should not be in this particular job, and I don't think the majority of 12-14 yr olds have the maturity to face the same challenges as the same number of 30-50 yr olds. I also wonder, if others feel the same as me, that having one franchise choose a certain course of action, could bear negatively on another location with a different philosophy, or would they all be required to 'fill quotas', even though it may hurt business?

Very good point. I wouldn't want 13 year old girls serving in any restuarant just for those reasons. I used to supervise late shift at a resturant, and the shit those waitresses had to put up with was just ridiculous. Many times we had to remove people because they were just too disrespectful.

Serving age should be 18, hostessing at 16... as it is in Alberta.