Daughter was a pub licensee for years. I was horrified at the hours she put in, but it seemed normal for the trade.

Overtime? Oh, yes, I remember that - it's what we got before 2008 to work late / over weekends / on bank holidays. :-)

I wouldn't be surprised if BBD's son didn't get overtime, or at least not in the same league as what people used to get. Perhaps if they work over Christmas/New Year - maybe, and these days, employers like giving time off in lieu instead, as some of mine did for working over the Christmas period

These days, asking for what used to be standard employment Ts & Cs will not get a person a job or get the sack (though not for that, they are sneaky about such things and will likely make some other 'excuse').

Things ain't what they used to be. Am I getting 'too old for this s***'? Maybe I'll start saying how expensive everything is compared to my youth, oh, hold on a minute... ;-)

It's all on the gov.uk website.

The working week is 48 hours unless he's opted out. Don't think you can opt out of the 11 hour rest between shifts unless you are in certain occupations. And bar work ain't one of them!

"Workers over 18 are usually entitled to 3 types of break - rest breaks at work, daily rest and weekly rest.

Workers have the right to one uninterrupted 20 minute rest break during their working day, if they work more than 6 hours a day. This could be a tea or lunch break.

The break doesn’t have to be paid - it depends on their employment contract.

Workers have the right to 11 hours rest between working days, eg if they finish work at 8pm, they shouldn’t start work again until 7am the next day.

Workers have the right to either:

• an uninterrupted 24 hours without any work each week
• an uninterrupted 48 hours without any work each fortnight"

Putting aside any legalities, I suggest he looks for a new job. Once he has found one, quit this one.

Except in an emergency, there is no need for him or anyone else to work those hours. It's just bad management.

"When he was 15 he worked there for a while and that did include doing a shift (waiting) on the 2nd Jan. Despite generous tips being given by customers, son didn't receive any (nor did the other staff members he knew well enough to ask)"

My son's gf worked in a wine bar/restaurant and the staff never got sight of the tips. Owner was very comfortably off and had a string of other businesses including a hotel and a popular tea room. They struggled to get staff and she always got paid extra for extra shifts because if they didn't agree, she wouldn't oblige.

Good to hear your son plans on university. My son left school with 13 A*-C GCSEs but didn't want to do A levels and university. He did a BTec and got triple distinction. He doesn't find studying particularly hard and I knew he wouldn't struggle with uni. He got a job he was good at and generally enjoyed, but the pay wasn't great. Move forward a couple of years and his gf at the time was a teacher and she persuaded him to get a degree, which he did without too much sweat. He followed that with a PGCE. He's not teaching as such, but is involved in education. I'm so glad he had a (slightly) pushy gf, because he wouldn't have done it otherwise.

Back to the current gf, she went to college part time last year to get a child care qualification and now has a job she enjoys and earns a bit more money. It was my son who persuaded her she was capable of more.

Your son needs to fight his own corner (with your support).

He should set up as a window cleaner. I hear the one currently doing the rounds in Peterhead is a bit s***.

Interesting about tips not being shared, evenly or at all, presumably some obnoxious owner/manager is trousering those following the standard examples of our elites and leaders.

We never pay by card (thats for internet or seriously large purchases), cash only and tips are handed as extra cash directly to the intended, who it must be said these days seem surprised and pleased at receiving cash tips, we should all go back to using cash and help scupper the plans of the new owners of the world.

Very difficult for somene in that sort of industry to work the necessary hours without own transport, blowed if i'd want be out in city or large town streets at odd hours relying on the last bus.

Horrible hours and inadequate breaks often go with that sort of work but that doesn’t make it right. However I doubt he can do anything that changes his current employer’s regime.

If he wants to stay in the industry meantime, pending being a student, he might have a better experience with one of the bigger chains? Although I am going back a few years, friends of my son’s worked for a High Street Pizza chain and they had breaks and got to keep the most part of their considerable tips. They were bigger than the wages.