My kids were fired! Newpaper delivery is a dying industry.

When my kids were little I use to love reading to them and one of their favourite stories was Beverly Cleary’s, Henry and the Paper Route.  My son decided he wanted to deliver papers like Henry and a year after he started his route, my daughter took on a route in our neighbourhood as well.  They each had about 60 papers to deliver for Metroland Media every Thursday and were paid 22cents/paper.  The paper they delivered was called the “Belleville News” and each week they would insert local flyers, bag and deliver.

It was a great first job for an 11 year old boy and his 10 year old sister.  For four years they faithfully delivered their papers every Thursday.  I use to joke with them that one day they would tell their kids that they use to deliver newspapers and their kids would be confused and ask the “what’s a newspaper”.  We knew the paper delivery service wouldn’t last forever but it was still a shock when they received a letter from Metroland Media in the mail stating that “as a result of restructuring of our publications and delivery network, we hereby terminate your Agreement effective December 1, 2017”.  My son shrugged it off as he was planning to give his notice soon with plans to look for a different part time job with his 15th birthday just days away.  My daughter, who was 13 and doesn’t miss a beat, asked if there would be a severance offered remembering that when her dad lost his job that the employer paid a severance.  (If you havent’ yet read what that experience was like for our family check out our story here).

I had remembered that a few months prior, they both signed a new contract with Metroland Media and sure enough there was a clause in their contract stating that “Metroland may terminate this agreement by giving at least one month’s notice of termination in writing.”  I got in touch with the Regional Director of Distribution with Metroland and he confirmed that they would abide by the contract and the kids would receive a lump sum payment equal to 4 weeks.

The experience taught my children a lot of life lessons that can be applicable to anyone that is going through a career transition.

  • it’s good to have a savings account to get you through job transitions and for emergencies
  • things don’t always stay the same so be prepared to adapt to change
  • develop a back up plan in case things with your current job don’t work out
  • check any job contracts that you have signed to see what your rights are
  • in the world of technology, there will be job loss but with that also comes new job opportunities

Jeanette Ramnarine resides in Belleville, ON where she and her husband are co-owners of Forward Finances.  Her work and financial advice for families has appeared in various forms of media including newspaper, magazine, blogs and television.  She is a licensed insurance broker and investment advisor, bringing a unique and creative approach to her clients with her knowledge and expertise in estate planning and wealth preservation.

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