Ask Officer Helbig: Find a safe workplace

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Officer Ollie Helbig
April 27, 2010
Filed under Blog, Opinions

It is that time of year when students are thinking about working this summer, and with the current economic recession, jobs may be harder to find.  Here are a few tips to avoid being “scammed” where your job or job search costs you more money than you earn.  Also, you want to avoid working a job where you are not really safe.

1. Advertised student summer sales jobs can be bad news.  These jobs claim exciting travel and that you can earn points for scholarships.  They might even claim to represent a charity.  Check these out carefully.  The charity and scholarship aspects are often a scam and the travel might be close to being kidnapped, where you are loaded into a van, dragged across the country selling magazine subscriptions door-to-door, and anything you earn goes toward your living “expenses”.  You may be dropped off in another state and told to sell door-to-door and then not picked up again until much later in the day.  Police in this area get calls on this type of activity about three to four times a year.  It is a big ripoff for the workers.  
2. Beware of “900” phone numbers for jobs.  Just making these calls generates a high charge for the call and they will often just give you free, open job sources that you can get for free.  Open sources for jobs include State and local government, local college career-service offices, and by contacting local employers that you know are reputable.  Talking to other students, parents, friends and older siblings can provide information on employers who have proven themselves over time.   
3. Is the job itself you are considering “safe”?  A job working construction or tree-trimming may involve climbing and high spaces, dangerous tools, and heavy lifting, and any of these may be hazardous to life and limb.  A job at a restaurant might involve late night hours and travelling home alone in the dark.  A job in a dry cleaning store or convenience gas station might involve working the counter at night when you are the only person in the store and the potential for robbery or assault is high.  Talk to your parents and persons familiar with the area and business to see if it is safe to work there and visit the business during the hours you would be working there if hired.

The local Better Business Bureau online, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office at 800-392-8222, or your local police can provide checks on the reputations of potential employers.  A job is a great way to make some money, learn about the business of business, develop your skills for later life, and start a resume for later life.  If you work hard at it, you may find an employer that provides internships in a career field that you find interesting, or has scholarships for employees.  A little research can go a long way. Choose wisely.