The Real World

If I asked, what do you consider the “real world” what would you say?  Would it be when you got your first job, bought your first house, became a mom?  Or is it when you first start having responsibilities outside of the home, when you are held accountable for your decisions by someone other than a parent, when your actions can affect others? 

                                                                                                       

When I was a teen my mother used to always tell me wait till you get to the real world. I remember thinking this is the real world, I have school, sports, clubs, and responsibilities. Then, I got my first job and it really was a wake-up call.  The responsibilities that I had, used to consist of mowing the grass and doing dishes, now all of a sudden I was responsible for keeping a cash register, making sure I didn’t contaminate the food and keeping the restrooms clean.  Now these aren’t huge responsibilities, but they all had an effect on everyone around me.  If the restrooms weren’t clean then the customers would be upset, if the cash register didn’t add up then I was responsible to management, and if we were serving contaminated food then people could get sick.  So at 17 I was working part-time at a movie theater, taking tickets, introducing the movie, selling concessions, and of course cleaning up bathrooms.   I remember my first day, I had been there for only 30 minutes when someone got sick in the ladies room, I was handed a stack of paper towels and told to clean it up. I wasn’t given gloves, a bucket or a broom.  So I did what any other 17 year old would do and used my shoe and paper towels to help scoop it up.  Looking back on that now I laugh, but I also realize I never went through training, was never instructed on how to do things safely and definitely did not know I had rights. So I ask you, do your teens know what their rights are, and are they ready for the real world?

Top 10 Things your Teens Should Know before going to Work!

1. Make sure they know and understand their rights and responsibilities, and how they apply to safety and health where they work. They can ask their supervisor or coworkers, they should also read the OSHA poster that every employer must display.
2. Have them ask their supervisor for safety training and a list of the hazards or dangers before they start a job or a new task.
3.  Make sure that they report any health and safety hazards to their supervisor.
4. They need to understand what to do if they get hurt at work, who they tell, and how they report it.
5.  Make sure that they know and follow all safety rules and instructions and take them seriously.
6. They need to be trained on proper usage of safety equipment and protective clothing and wear it when it’s needed.
7. Tell them to stay alert, work safely, don’t take shortcuts, or joke around, because that’s when accidents happen.
8. Have them watch out for fellow co- workers, and make sure they receive the proper training as well; an accident for them could cause a fatality for your teen.
9. Have them find out what to do in an emergency, where to go, who to call, what the processes are.
10. Make sure they respect the people they work with. Never harass or bully anyone, workplace violence is the third highest cause of death for teen workers.