Entitled millennials not wanting to work

[davidc4430]

Muffin Break boss's comments about entitled millennials not wanting to work without pay spark furious responses

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-24/furious-backlash-over-muffin-break-unpaid-work-comments/10844...

when did they sneak laws in that allow people to work for no pay?

i want to know more about ms Brenan, where she lives, what kind of house (or houses) she owns, where her kids go to school, what cars she owns, as its all being paid for by people working for free.

but she still get the money people pay to eat in her store.

[bidicus*maximus]

They have unpaid internships here in the US, though I've never heard of such a thing for a muffin store?  Usually such an internship would be for college students... say someone who studies to be an engineer working a summer unpaid at an engineering firm, in order to get work experience and/or a foot in the door at a place that might hire them after graduation.  Requiring an unpaid internship for someone who wants to bake muffins seems a little silly... I'd imagine that such a job pays little to begin with and that the employer could simply offer on the job training.

[davidc4430]

i knew of 'work experience' arangements where final year school students could go to a business and 'experience' what they do on a daily basis, usually for a couple of weeks.

but they did very limited 'work' it was mostly observing.

this 'working for free' caper is new to me and sounds totally wrong!

i'd like to know who brought this in.

sounds like something so easily abused by businesses like the muffin shop

[travlyn2012]

David,

It appears to be a growing thing in Oz,

The link you posted has related story links.

[not_for_sale2025]

I think there is little hope for Muffin Break if one of it's general managers

can be so critical about millennials and then be forced to apologise by Foodco

for getting it wrong. It states, "Ms Brennan said people who had not lived up to

her standards would not be hired that she would "tell everybody" about them".

She sounds like a nasty, entitled person.

Work experience can really help kids develop some confidence and provide a 

nice beginning for their resume. But there can be a fine line between businesses

that genuinely want to help the kids and those that want to abuse the system to

benefit from slave labour. I wonder which one applies to the Muffin Break run by

Ms Brennan?

[zanadoo_56]

When I was studying at TAFE my father organised for me to get work experience at a company he knew for one day a week.  I learnt to use lettering stencils (absolutely de rigeur for the job in a pre computer age) and improve my line work...and then they wondered what to do with me. 

Finally the boss decided: "We'll get her to work on The Graveyard."  The Graveyard turned out to be boxes of trade journals and technical brochures that all had to filed using something like that used in libraries but in this case it was specific to the work.  It was (to me) horribly complicated which was probably why the staff didn't like doing it.  I was given a crash course in how it worked, a huge book to look up the classification numbering and a space to file anything I could from the boxes of stuff.  It took me two whole days (well I wan't doing anything else).  After that they had no idea what to give me to do next...and that was the end of my work experience. LOL

I didn't expect to get paid as I knew they had taken me on as a favour for my father, and there was no expectation of ever getting a job there.  Surprisingly, I learnt a lot in the brief time I was there, but with studies and a lot of homework I was glad it didn't work there for long.  I was still living at home so I didn't need any money.  I might have thought differently if I didn't have my parents' support.

[imastawka]

My grandaughter worked in Real Estate for a number of years.  Decided (finally) it wasn't for her.

Rather than go on the dole, she walked into a large restaurant (no, not Maccas) and asked for a job.

She told them her best reference was her work.  She would do a shift for free.

She got the job, with high praise from the owner, and worked there full time until she scored the job she wanted.  She now works full time at that job, and part time at the restaurant.

A work ethic to be admired.

[zanadoo_56]

Agreed re work ethic.  However, to my embarrassment in my early full time working days I was not as hard working as I could have been.  Mind you, I had switched to night classes, I had the job, plus there was the huge amount of homework. It was tiring.  Once I finished tech my work output increased markedly which was kinda funny because this was in the days of huge public service departments with no real sense of urgency at times. 

My next job was outside my qualifications and was like a production line.  Sit down for a minute and the boss was standing over you in a second. 

Then I got back to what I was trained for.  At the last job I was used to working at breakneck speed...so much so that after a week in my new job my boss quietly took me aside and told me to slow down. LOL

By the time of the end of my working life (cut short due to health issues) I found it was more worthwhile to make yourself indespensable - that was what my employers really prized.   I dream about my old job sometimes and I wonder whether the systems I implemented and standards I upheld are still being maintained.  I don't miss getting up at 6am 5 days a week, but if someone came to me and said I could do my old job from home I'd say yes like a shot.  I miss it and I find it hard to let go sometimes...but of course I had no choice.

[davidc4430]

i have no problem with 'work experience' as a way for a person to 'have a look' at what a job requires before commiting to it.

on a very short term observe basis with maybe some 'hands on' experience.

same as your GD offer of 1 free shift (even if i'm not sure how legal that would be) how do they cover insurance ect?

say for instance she was burned by fat from a fryer? if your not an actual employee then you shouldnt be behind the counter should you?

its the idea that businesses like the muffin shop expects these free workers to do real work for no pay over a sustained period that upsets me.

and to have a 'manager' saying if your not prepared to be her slave you'll get a bad report from her, thats not on.

i dont really care if someone works 20 minutes, they should be paid.

work experience is not doing the job in my view.

[imastawka]

All students do work experience if they're smart, David.

They need to gain experience.  But like you say, it should be to observe and be taught.

Not free labour.

Grandaughter was hired as wait staff - nowhere near the kitchen.

I have no idea re the insurance angle.