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Lucie Mitchell

Sift Media

Freelance journalist and former editor of HRZone

Read more about Lucie Mitchell

HR tip: Children at work on weekends

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These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications.


Question:

Some of our employees come in on Saturdays to catch up with their work and I have noticed that some of them bring their children with them. I have taken up this matter with them because it is worrying me. Some say that they bring the young children because their wife is busy shopping whilst others say that it gives the youngsters some experience of the world of work. Do you see any problems? Am I worrying unnecessarily?
 
Answer:

You have a right to be worried. Your main problem is health and safety. These young people do not have enough experience of work environments to be able to recognise safety issues that are probably obvious to adults and, of course, they have not been given health and safety instruction as part of an induction programme. There is therefore no doubt – you must ban them from the site. If you feel it right to give the older ones some experience of the world of work, do it in a structured manner during normal work hours.

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One Response

  1. Children at Work

    Also from October 2009, although from the wording of the question staff aren’t necessarily ‘working’ with children, won’t they need to register under the Vetting & Barring Scheme run by the Independent Safeguarding Authority?  Or am I being paranoid over this? 

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Lucie Mitchell

Freelance journalist and former editor of HRZone

Read more from Lucie Mitchell
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