What's your opinion on overly worked teenagers?

In my Tourist Town business owners hire their own children ( over age 12 or more) to teach them good work habits and they also start them with their own bank account to start saving when young.
However these same Business Owners seem more lenient on their own youth than strangers who also work for them.
The owners kids only work part time or when convenient for parents schedule of events
( Family get together’s etc ) while the other employees are expected to work the Holidays,because as part timers they don’t have to pay overtime for holiday pay etc

A lot of kids whose parents hired them also got references from the parents and or friends of the parents in order to further their kids career goals.

I talked with several kids about this and they are forced by their parent to comply and by the time they are old enough to leave they do and in some cases never return for a long time, others took off and took jobs in the travel industry or took up teaching English abroad.

Anything to get away from the oppression and expectations of the parents.

Others continued on to Apprenticeship,College or University to live away from the control that was placed on them.
Some became wandering Artists while others turned there Hobbies into a Business of there own.

At the very least they have had a taste of work ethics good or bad and made better decisions on what direction that they would take when they became young adults in control of their own lives.

Number one thing is to know your rights as an employee and learn about wages and taxes that are taken off one’s paycheck.( biggest surprise to youth thinking that they get everything when they work,didn’t know about deductions).

When I was a kid, I was alwys looking for ways to earn money. I had a paper route, I mowed lawns, stuff like that. If I didn’t I would have no money for fixing my bike or even buying lunch. It helped to teach me what I was good at and what I wasn’t. It also gave me a work ethic that has stuck with me all my life. There is a benefit to developing the basic skills needed, showing up on time, showing up every day, and having pride in your work. I think it’s a good thing.

I have not known a teenager who was overworked.

In migrant families and 3rd world countries, everybody worked.

I started working fairground concessions at age 12, usually on weekends, then a few weeknights until age 16 when I got a ‘real’ job. School was my main job and grades had to stay up.

For me, like @Jaxk, it taught invaluable lessons on the value of money, work ethic, responsibility and allowed me the pride of helping my single mom out by paying my way a little bit. In fact, I have never NOT worked and where I’m at in life NOW is a direct result of those lessons imo.

I was brought up in Los Angeles, I was friends with several actors my age.
They had a child advocate by their side or within a few feet, had breaks required by law, did their homework on set sometimes with a tutor/teacher and ate meals at regular times.

When I was 14 years old I was playing at restaurants, clubs and bars. Jazz, rock n roll and R&B. I was making up to 5 times minimum wages. Had a blast !

My 1st job was janitor. Not too bad for minimum wage. My roommate in grad school picked strawberries when he was young. He essentially roasted in the sun in the field, picking as fast as he could because he was paid by the tray. Didn’t even take the time to walk to the bathroom.

My first job was at Sonic.

When i was a kid, i had a paper route. That may be the reason i now have a bad back.

My two youngest had paper routes. When my son had his, he had to take 2 weeks off to go see his dad in Washington State. I took over his paper route for those 2 weeks. That may be the reason I now have a bad back.

I have witnessed foreign workers who had originally signed an agreement all spelled out in regards to job descriptions and compensation as an employee as well as accommodation agreements of which later some employers reneged on.

Additional job duties were added on, accommodations not up to par,promises to be quiet and they ( Employer) would get their Citizenship if they did as asked?

They were preyed upon as cheap labor and finally these unfair practices are becoming known to the authorities and general public.

This happens all over the World and needs to stop!

It is wrong and employees need more protective measures to be implemented and the abusers fined and or jailed and not allowed to employ or run a business until proven and inspected regularly.

There’s a far cry from a kid having a paper route and a kid being an exploited YouTube “personality” that their parents reap the benefits of.

Nothing wrong with a kid getting a job if they can balance it with their other obligations and responsibilities. And of course there are some cases where the family is poor and the older children need to have jobs to supplement the household income.

But I can’t say many positive things about parents exploiting their children’s talent, and given that recent story about the mom who had several adopted children who participated in YouTube videos and were abused when they failed to perform to her standards, we should all be a bit wary of child internet stars.

As for my personal experience, I did not have a job until college.

The Jackson 5 were exploited by their father.

I think all teens should have jobs at least part of the year, unless they are extremely involved academically or in athletics and don’t have the time.

Working as a teen for most kids is a positive experience. It gives them some money to save or spend, gives them reward for a job well done, opportunity to know other adults, and to understand what a work obligation is like.

When I started working my grades went up, I met people who weren’t doing drugs and drinking like many kids in high school, and I felt good about being really good at my job. It turned around a depression I was in, it was a Godsend.

Teens shouldn’t be working long hours though. It has to be reasonable so they still get plenty of sleep and some free time.

I’ll add, in America there are laws about teens working. I had to get a work permit to work at age 14. There were restrictions on the hours I could work that the company had to follow. It isn’t policed very well, but it helps create a guide so the employee has some power, with the support of the law behind them.

Young children there are very strict laws, and I think they are typically followed well. Many years ago children were overworked, didn’t have the same rights to the money they earned, but now there are many laws to avoid that.