How old were you when you had your first job? No, not that one when the neighbors paid you to feed their goldfish while they were on vacation. I mean the one when you first saw the dreaded letters “FICA” on your pay stub and realized that “making $9.00 an hour” didn’t mean that you would be taking home $360 at the end of a 40-hour week.
Were you still in middle school or just entering high school? Was it during the summer before you entered college? Was it a positive experience? If not financially, did that job at least provide some life lessons that you have found valuable?
Dr. William G. Wilkoff
Among my peers in a middle class dominated small town, having a “good” summer job was somewhat of a status symbol. Few of us worked during the school year. Having family connections meant that you might be lucky enough to be hired “doing construction” and making big bucks. Most of our families didn’t “need” the money we earned. Our paychecks provided us with our first taste of what it meant do some “discretionary spending” and build a savings account. And ... it meant we weren’t hanging around the house getting into trouble. As I recall we and our parents saw working as a teenager as a win-win situation.
A recent survey done by investigators at the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan polled parents about their thoughts about teenagers working (Parents see upsides and downsides to teen jobs, Mott Poll Report, April 17, 2023). In reviewing data from the hospital’s National Poll On Children’s Health, the researchers found that parents prioritized whether the job would fit their teens’ schedules (87%), the logistics of getting the teenager to the job (68%), and whether it would provide a learning experience (54%). Only a third listed pay rate as a consideration.
Parents reported half of their 18-year-olds had jobs, 42% aged 16-17 had jobs, and less than 10% of the 14- to 15-year-olds had jobs. Parents of teenagers with jobs felt that the work experience made a positive impact on money management (76%), self-esteem (70%), and time management (63%). On the other hand, a smaller percentage of parents reported a negative effect on sleep (16%), activities (11%), social life (11%), and grades (4%). Forty-four percent of parents of working teenagers reported that their children had experienced problems at work. These included issues of too many or too few hours, disagreements with coworkers or managers, and pay not meeting expectations.
It is interesting that although I can’t provide any data, my impression is that a much higher percentage of my peer group were working when we were younger than 18. Not surprisingly, the teenagers who are currently working distribute their income much as we had done 50 years ago.
How should we as primary care providers interpret the results of this poll? Of course they support my bias or I wouldn’t be sharing them with you. I have found that As a result I have asked most teenagers at their health maintenance visits if they have any summer work plans. This survey also demonstrated that parents don’t need to be cautioned about the potential downsides. In fact, they might even benefit from the observation that the upsides of work are considerable.
The fact that nearly half of teenagers experienced workplace problems doesn’t impress me as a downside. It merely reflects reality and provides opportunities for learning and growth. With the unemployment rate at rock bottom, this is an excellent climate for teenagers to dip their toes into the working world. If they feel they are being mistreated on the job they should realize that they are in the driver’s seat. They won’t have to look very far to find a “hiring” sign in another window just down the street.
Dr. Wilkoff practiced primary care pediatrics in Brunswick, Maine, for nearly 40 years. He has authored several books on behavioral pediatrics, including “How to Say No to Your Toddler.” Other than a Littman stethoscope he accepted as a first-year medical student in 1966, Dr. Wilkoff reports having nothing to disclose. Email him at pdnews@mdedge.com.