For some DHS students, the summer is a time to relax and spend time. However for others, the summer is a time to make money. With the break in school, students suddenly have an abundance of time. An abundance of time leaves the option for students to work if they want and there are certainly a variety of jobs that students at DHS have. For instance, some people work in the service industry, more specifically in fast food. Others work in landscaping and other physically taxing work during the hot summer days.
When it comes down to it, there are really two types of jobs a high school student can partake in: a legitimate hourly wage job or an under the table job. An under the table job is something like babysitting for a family friend, or mowing your neighbor’s lawn. On the other side, a legitimate hourly wage job is $7.40 an hour work at a place like McDonald’s. Although it may surprise some people, the far superior job to have is the under the table job.
One student who believes that an hourly wage job is not as good as an under the table job is junior Trevor Hulbert.
“Under the table jobs can make you a lot more money, so personally I prefer them,” Hulbert said. “I think that because a job that isn’t taxed is a big deal, so that’s why I prefer to work jobs that are under the table.”
The absence of taxation on jobs that are under the table can make a big difference for students and allow them to make a larger amount of money in the summer.
Sophomore Lauren Kok will spend many hours this summer babysitting and she is very happy to have an under the table job rather than a typical minimum wage job.
“Babysitting is great because I can make a lot of money, and I just have a lot more freedom,” Kok said. “I don’t want to have a boring job where your paycheck gets taxed and you don’t make much money.”
Another reason why under the table jobs are better is the ability to have a more relaxed schedule. Students who work under the table jobs have more freedom to choose where and when they would like to work.
“Babysitting lets me work when I want, and the hours are really relaxed,” Kok said. “Also, it lets me have a good time. I like taking care of kids so it’s really fun.”
“Since most under the table jobs I do are done for people I know, I don’t have the same strictness as a minimum wage job,” Hulbert said.
Overall, having a minimum wage job isn’t the greatest thing at the end of the day. Under the table jobs provide more money and a more relaxed work schedule, which allows for students to be happier in the summer. Although under the table jobs aren’t always easy to find, they are just a better deal for the worker.
