Summer jobs are just a part of high school. Students spend their summers picking up shifts at Taco Bell and working on their tans as they work at the city pool but, not every student expects their summer job to launch them into millions of phones and televisions around the world.
This summer a Kaeley Uhlig had an altercation with an individual at her job Keke’s Snow Balls. The situation quickly escalated, but in the end it was handled in a very professional manner by Uhlig. The business’s TikTok page decided to post this altercation and the video ended up going viral with more than 20 million views. Uhlig’s story was featured nationwide on shows on Inside Edition and websites including The New York Post.
Keke’s Snow Balls is a family-owned business created to support their family orphanage in Guatemala.
“This is our passion,” the store’s mission statements said on their website. “We wanted a fun and engaging family venture where everyone could contribute, and you can often see us all working the stand on weekends. We cherish our community and are deeply thankful for your business, as it ultimately helps support our orphanage.”
When Uhlig started working for the business, she never dreamed her summer job would put her in the spotlight. She has a common-sense approach to work place etiquette.
“I do believe that teens should be respected at their jobs especially when we are expected to be respectful and understanding of the customers,” Uhlig said.
Some teens that work their summer jobs feel they aren’t taken as seriously as a normal adult. Most people take advantage of the fact that they don’t have as much experience in the job market.
“People should definitely treat teens that have jobs with respect and be patient with us because sometimes we can get stressed when there’s a rush and not being patient with us can cause us to get more stressed,” junior Natalia Herrera said.
People might assume that these teens are less focused on their education or that they come from difficult backgrounds. However, many teens work to gain valuable life skills, contribute to their families or save for future goals.
“I believe that teens should be respected at their job,” junior Yueli Miranda said. “Not like a boss, but as a normal colleague and employee. I feel that it is necessary to have respect regardless of age because it encourages teens to do a better job knowing that they aren’t looked down upon simply because they are young.”
Teens who enter the workforce also learn important lessons in respect and communication with their coworkers. Working alongside people of different ages and backgrounds teaches them how to interact professionally.
“Teens should be respected at their job because everyone starts somewhere,” junior Hailee Henry said. “They deserve the same respect and kindness that adults get because in the end we are all going to be adults. Teens also learn respect when working and communicating with other coworkers.”
Standing up for others at work is an essential part of creating a positive and supportive workplace environment. When someone sees a coworker being treated unfairly or facing discrimination, speaking up can make a significant difference.
“From my experience I learned that it only takes one little instance to bring awareness to all,” said Uhlig. “You never know who else is experiencing what you are going through, so help out and stand up for others.”
Jobs can be very stressful for many reasons, from tight deadlines and high expectations to challenging tasks and workplace conflict. It’s important to find ways to manage this stress, such as taking breaks, practicing mindfulness and seeking support from colleagues or supervisors.
“Stress is all a part of having a job,” Miranda said. “No job in the world is 100% easy, but it is important to keep in mind that mistakes are okay but only if you learn from them and do better next time because your job won’t wait for you to be better.”
Teens should be mindful to not let their manager give them too many hours to work. Balancing school, extracurricular activities and social life is crucial during these years. No one should be treated less because of where they work or their age. Every job, whether it’s a low position or a high ranking role, contributes to the functioning of society and deserves respect.
“I would tell those kids that are afraid to stand up for themselves at work to respectfully stop taking the rude and hurtful comments and say something, because no one deserves to be treated as less just because of the job they work or the age they are,” Uhlig said.
Customers need to be patient with employees, as they are often doing their best to provide good service under challenging circumstances. Whether it’s long lines, technical issues, or high demand, employees are working hard to meet everyone’s needs.
“Most customers don’t treat us employees the best,” Herrera said. “Everyone knows how hard a work environment can be especially if you don’t like your job. Next time the business has a mix up don’t take it out all on the employee.”
