Though recent years have seen a dramatic uptick in child labor law violations, many states are rolling back protections for teenagers and permitting them to work more dangerous jobs. If you come into contact with a teenage factory worker, here are things you should never say.
“Your family must be pretty rich if you’re spending all your free time pursuing your passion for manufacturing.”
It’s not the kid’s fault that he comes from privilege.
“If you don’t like the law, then you should vote to change it.”
This doesn’t even work for adults.
“There are no Bruce Springsteen songs tailored to your plight.”
The Boss wrote a song about a car wash attendant, for crying out loud, but he couldn’t devote a single lyric for our underage factory workers?
“You missed the school shooting on Friday.”
Don’t remind them that they’re going to miss out on all the ordinary high school activities when they’re working.
“By your age I was already married, with kids, and working at the concrete plant.”
Times have changed, and blue-collar work no longer pays well enough for a 13-year-old to support a family by themselves.
“And now was one to believe that there was nowhere a god of hogs, to whom this hog personality was precious, to whom these hog squeals and agonies had a meaning?”
Just because they work in a slaughterhouse doesn’t mean they’ll be fans of The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.
“You have too many limbs anyways.”
They’re already insecure enough about their bodies.
“This job is so much more fun when you’re drunk.”
If you’re not going to buy them alcohol, at least stop rubbing in that you’re old enough to drink.
“It’s amazing how you juggle work and school and extracurriculars!”
Sucking up won’t get them to give you a ride to the bonfire this weekend.
“No vaping on the kill floor.”
Let them have this.
“I heard working in one of those factories can be really dangerous.”
“Student” surpassed “factory worker” on the list of most dangerous jobs in America in 2022.
“Working the line is so cringe.”
They already hate their jobs. Don’t tell them their peers think they’re sus.
“Once you’re 18, you can get PTSD by joining the military instead.”
Don’t remind them. They can barely wait as it is.
“Thank God you’re not working at McDonald’s.”
It would be far less thrilling and dangerous.
“If you wanted a better job, you should have worked harder in elementary school.”
Maybe if they’d put more stickers on their collage in second grade they wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place!
“Don’t you have homework to do?”
You think they’d rather be doing algebra than spending a 16-hour shift almost getting sucked into a giant saw?
“Rest in peace.”
Actually, you can say pretty much whatever you want to them once you get to this point.
