December 1, 1997

4 Min Read
Ask The Waldmans

Ask The Waldmans

With Stanley and Jill Waldman

Hiring A Teen-ager

Dear Waldmans: Lately, I have seen advertisements ontelevision about hiring teen-agers. After thinking aboutemploying a teen-ager at my storage facility, I have decided itwould be a good idea. After all, it would give a teen-ager achance to make money and gain good experience during the summer.Have you ever employed a teen, and if so, what is important inthe hiring process? I am sure there are advantages anddisadvantages.

--Employing Teens in Vicksburg, Miss.

Dear Employing Teens: I give you a lot of credit forwanting to employ a teen-ager for the summer. So many teens wantto work, and either they cannot find a job, or people are justtoo afraid to hire them. After all, teens need an opportunity tomake their own money and learn what work is all about. It notonly gives them a chance to learn and grow, but the experiencewill be endearing for you, as well.

My first experience employing a teen-ager was quite unusual.He wanted to work (or he thought he wanted to work), but he hadnot figured out what real work involved. It was also my firstexperience working with a teen, so I had to learn right alongwith him. I had him cleaning, painting (that was the fun part),spraying for bugs and pulling weeds. After a while, I noticed heneeded to take a little break after each chore. It was too hot,or he was just too exhausted for all that manual labor.

In the beginning, it seemed I had to baby-sit him in order forthe jobs to get completed. At one point, I felt I could do them alot faster, rather than following him around the facility. Thatwas my fault. I realized that he needed some guidance. On theother hand, I needed more patience. So, we had a long discussionabout how we were going to handle this entire employer/employeesituation, and then we came up with a plan.

Here are some suggestions you might want to implement in yourown plan to hire a teen-ager:

  • Check with the state and federal law requirements before hiring a teen-ager.

  • Make sure the teen-ager is at least 16. Get some written proof, such as a birth certificate and a Social Security card. Make copies of both for the file.

  • Give detailed instructions on what he is supposed to do on the job and how you expect the teen to carry that out. Most teen-agers that are first-time employees are just as nervous as you are about the job. The experience can be very encouraging for a teen-ager- especially one without any prior job experience. We need to remember that teens must be given a chance to work before they can gain real job experience.

  • Go over the work schedule and determine the best hours.

  • Don't let the teen-ager operate any machinery that may endanger him.

  • Explain how the tax forms work and what he can expect to receive with his first paycheck. Many teen-agers are shocked when they get that first check; they don't realize how much the government takes out. That is why this is such a good way to teach them how the "real world" works. It not only helps them, but makes them realize the importance of money. Hopefully, by putting all that work into a job, he will learn how to save some of the earnings.

Several of my teen-agers have come back years later and toldme how much they appreciated me giving them a job. That made mefeel good, because I questioned whether they really liked meduring their employment. Young adults grow through theirexperiences, and experience is only gained by doing. I give you alot of credit for traveling into the world unknown. You will notregret giving a teen-ager a chance to learn and grow.

A father-daughter team, Stanley and Jill Waldman are self-storage owners/operators and attorneys. In addition, Ms. Waldman holds a master's degree in labor and employment law from Georgetown University. Together they have co-authored a number of books on self-storage operations, including Getting Started in the Self-Storage Business, Self-Storage Business Management Forms, The Policy & Procedure Manual for the Self-Storage Business, Selling Your Self-Storage Business and The South Carolina Tools Manual for Self-Storage Operators.

Comments and questions may be sent to: Ask The Waldmans, P.O. Box 21416, Charleston, SC 29413; or via their Web site: www.askthewaldmans.com.

Editor's Note: Views and opinions on legal matters are those of the authors. Professional counsel should be obtained before any determination or positive action is taken.

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