Chapter 4

Warm up Questions

1. What age do young people start working in your country?
2. What is a suitable job for a young person?
3. What was your first job?

Reading

Listen to the reading shown below.

1. When Brian entered high school, he wanted a job.  He wanted to have pocket money, so he could go out with his friends.  Brian’s parents gave him a weekly allowance for helping out around the house; however, he felt ready to take on more responsibility and independence.  He found a job that he thought was perfect – it was only 3 kilometers from home.  Becky hired him to work in her store putting away the weekly order of supplies, cleaning the floor, and doing odd jobs.  He worked one day a week after school for a few hours.  Brian was happy with this arrangement because his weekends were free, and he could spend the money that he made going out with his friends.
2. There was one unusual factor to this arrangement.  Brian was working under the table, which means there would be no formal record of his employment.  The circumstances in this working situation have both benefits and drawbacks for the employer and the employee.
3. When there is no formal record of employment, normal pay deductions are not made.  In Canada, normal deductions refer to the money that is deducted from wages.  Employees must pay income tax and unemployment insurance.  These deductions are made by the employer before the paycheque is written, and that money is paid directly to the government.  In addition, all workers pay into Canada Pension Plan.  These deductions are a legal agreement between the government, the employer, and the employee.  As a young man, Brian was happy because without making these payments, he had more money in his pocket. Money was his motivation for working.  Nevertheless, the employer was taking a risk in this illegal circumstance.
4. In a scenario like this, where an employee is working under the table, there is a lack of legal protection for the worker.  Some of the legal protection relates to the worker’s safety.  If the employee received an injury at work, they would not receive compensation.  In addition, if the job ended, there would be no unemployment insurance benefits.  Finally, there is no contribution to future retirement savings.  Brian did not worry about his future because he was only focused on pocket money for the weekends with his friends.
5. Becky’s store was a small independent business.  She was responsible for the administration, marketing, cleaning, customer service, and everything else that is part of owning your own business.  By avoiding the administrative tasks of formally employing Brian, she saved herself time.  She also benefited from the casual nature of the working relationship she had because she could change or cancel a shift with only a moment’s notice.  She liked having Brian’s youthful energy around the store, and she was impressed with how hard he would work.  The low financial cost of having Brian come in once a week saved her both time and energy.
6. Brian knew that his work was a violation of the laws of employment in Canada.  He made a commitment to Becky as his employer because he knew the work would be temporary.  He was not old enough to work in a restaurant yet, and he had not finished his training to become a lifeguard.  He thought he had few work options at his age, but that would change in a year or two.
7. In addition to the pay, Brian found other incentives in his part time job.  Because of the casual agreement with his employer, he could change his schedule if he had homework or after-school activities.  This flexibility suited Becky too.  If the weekly delivery were delayed, she could easily change his shift.  Brian also liked working for Becky.  He enjoyed talking to her, and they got along well.  It was nice to have an adult to connect with who was neither his parent nor his teacher.  In the future, he knew he would be able to count on Becky to give a good reference to a future employer.  The boxes delivered to the store were heavy, and after work Brian sometimes felt like he had been to the gym for a good workout.  Developing his arm muscles was an unexpected bonus of his job.
8. As employer and employee, Becky and Brian both knew that they were taking a risk.  The risk ended when Brian completed his lifeguard training two years later.  Becky was happy to give the new employer a glowing review of Brian’s commitment and conduct on the job.  Brian was happy to sit in the guard chair and flex the muscles he developed while moving boxes for Becky.

Comprehension Questions

Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

1. Why did Brian want a job?
2. Why were Brian’s work opportunities limited?
3. What does working under the table mean?
4. Why did Becky hire Brian “under the table”?
5. What are some of the risks to the employee in this situation?
6. Would you work under the table? Why or why not?
7. Would you allow your teenage child to work under the table? Why or why not?

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Vocabulary Words

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