Things your child should consider before becoming a supervisor

Is your child ready to take on more at work? The thrill of being asked to be a supervisor can sometimes overshadow the very real responsibility and risks associated with the job. Taking on more responsibility at work means that your teen is in charge of people—and their health and safety.

When Leigh Doyle was 16, she was asked to be a supervisor at the popular fast-food chain where she worked in Ontario. From the beginning, she knew what the role would entail. “It was very clear I'd be responsible for people's safety,” says the now Toronto-based content strategist. And that didn’t just apply to the people she supervised. “There was safety of the employees, like not getting burned or locked in the freezer or dropping something on yourself from the stockroom, or starting fires,” she explains. “There was also safety for the guests, like ensuring the restaurant didn't have broken chairs, or ice outside the doors. But the biggest guest safety issue was food safety,” she says. “Every day when we switched from breakfast to lunch there was a robust protocol for ensuring all food items met safety standards.”

While Doyle’s experience was largely positive, it was mostly thanks to the employer taking safety seriously. If your child is asked to be a supervisor, it’s important to consider whether their employer values safety—and whether your child is ready for such an important role.

Is your child ready to be a supervisor?

One thing teens may not know is that supervisors in Ontario may be legally responsible if something goes wrong. Supervisors can be fined and even serve jail time (in extreme cases) if someone is killed due to their inability to prove due diligence. They can be fined for injuries as well.

Because of this, teens have to be aware not just of their job responsibilities but also of their occupational health and safety responsibilities.

For example, supervisors are responsible for ensuring that any equipment, protective device or clothing required by the employer is used or worn by the worker, they have to warn the worker of any potential or known health or safety dangers and take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of workers.

It is also a supervisor’s responsibility to ensure that workers receive proper job-specific training in the workplace on equipment operation, hazard awareness and personal protective equipment.

Before they say “yes!”

If your child has considered these things and believes they are ready for the job, make sure that proper health and safety training for supervisors is part of the equation (like this training program developed by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development). For Doyle, it felt like a natural progression to become a supervisor because the restaurant had amazing safety training. “In addition to training, we'd be tested regularly (I think monthly?) to ensure we remembered how to avoid dangerous situations and what to do in various scenarios, where fire extinguishers and exits were,” says Doyle. “Plus, twice a year or so, head office would come in to evaluate the restaurant and health and safety was a part of that evaluation.”

After they say “yes”

If they’ve weighed the pros and cons and decide to take the job, it’s now their responsibility to use their voice to keep people safe. If Doyle could give her teenage self any advice, it would be this: “Trust yourself and your training. Know that the people who promoted you want you to be successful — or they wouldn't have promoted you,” she says. “Speak up when you think something is wrong and don't hesitate to take action. Other people with less authority need your voice.”

Just as important: how to say “no”

When asked if she would still say yes to the supervisor role if she could go back in time, Doyle didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely. My experience at the restaurant laid the foundation for my entire career. I learned fundamental lessons that I use and share to this day decades later.”

But this level of responsibility and commitment is not for every teen. If your teen has considered their options and you’ve decided together that they aren’t going to take the job, it is okay to say no. Perhaps your teen just wants a low-stress job and a little pocket money—and that’s perfectly understandable.

They are allowed to say no and keep their current job. An open and honest conversation with their boss about their hesitancy to be promoted is in order. Share with your teen about how to respectfully decline something that is not right for them.