I Work Part-Time at the Community Pool. Some Parents Have Accused Me of Something Wild.

Good Job Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Henfaes/Getty Images Plus and Wavebreakmedia/Getty Images Plus. Good Job is Slate’s advice column on work. Have a workplace problem big or small? Send it to Laura Helmuth and Doree Shafrir here. (It’s anonymous!) Dear Good Job, I am retired, and last year (at the request of the manager who is a family friend) I started working at the community/municipal outdoor swimming pool that is three blocks from where I live. Some of the young employees had quit near the end of summer, and she needed help running the front desk. This year I work two 10-hour days, plus another 5-10 hours a week due to call-ins. I live so close it isn’t an issue to come in if I don’t have anything else planned. But this year I’ve had several parents make an uncomfortable accusation. This year I have had several parents (I think they know each other) accuse me of “stealing” a summer job that the 14- to 15-year-old age group needs. If they are 16 they would probably be life guards. I really don’t know how to answer. I would love to tell them that these 14- to 15-year-olds are notoriously unreliable, either due to them or their parents not making the job a priority, or lack of applicants as pretty much any other job they would find pays more than the $12.00/hour this job pays. Plus, how many 14-year-olds want to start working at 8:00 a.m. on a Saturday? The pool manager and her boss love me working there as I never call in, plus having a more mature person at the front desk has cut down on some of the shenanigans, like people trying to get in for free, that had been happening. Any suggestions for a short, to the point response? —Too Old for the Job? (he/him) Dear Too Old for the Job?, Wow. Those parents are modeling terrible behavior for their kids: They’re ageist, rude, and entitled. I’m sure it’s tempting to tell them they’re being jerks or that their precious kids are unreliable. And I wish it would help to explain to them that workplaces function better when staffers come from different backgrounds, or that one of the biggest perks of a job is getting to know people from other generations. Instead, you could shut down their “stealing” accusation by saying something like: “The managers have found they need a mix of junior and more experienced staff to run the pool safely and efficiently.” If you’d like to indicate that they’re being rude, raise your eyebrows, look at them without smiling, and wait long enough before you answer to make them uncomfortable. —Laura Classic Prudie I share a three-bedroom house with two guys. I pay more for the room with the private bath while they share one. Generally, the main areas are clean enough, but I wouldn’t stay in their bedrooms for love or money. “Jen” is the new girlfriend. She has a bad habit of going into my room to use the shower and toilet. She does this without asking me. Never miss new Slate Advice columns Get the latest from Prudie and our columnists in your inbox each weekday, plus special bonus letters on Saturdays. Advice Workplace Jobs