Dutch artist Lucas Maassen has put his three young sons to work on his ‘Furniture Factory’ project. This might be astonishing at first, but you’ll be relieved to know that Maassen has followed all Dutch child labor laws and even had his sons sign professional employment contracts.
The Furniture Factory project features the work of 9-year-old Thijme and Julian and Maris, both of whom are 7 years old. They work only two hours per week with a 15-minute break in between. This is in compliance with Dutch child labor laws, which dictates that children can work a maximum of three hours per week. Maasen wanted his sons to work on the project so that they could apply their “amateur painting skills,” as PSFK puts it, to give each of the collection’s handmade furniture pieces an interesting finish.
For each furniture piece they complete, Thijme, Julian and Maris are each paid 1 Euro. They also get employe benefits including 12 vacation days annually.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Child-created Art
- More companies may start employing children to create authentic and unique decor as a way to reduce costs and create unique products.
- Family Workforce
- By involving family members as temporary employees, companies can ensure a shared vision and lower labor costs for their work projects.
- Child-employment Contracts
- Employment contracts for children could become a norm as the interest in involving young family members in small projects increases to build their skills.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Furniture
- Artists, designers, and manufacturers can utilize children's creativity to hand paint furniture pieces and diversify their collections by offering one-of-a-kind pieces.
- Crafts
- Companies and hobbyists can recruit children's artistry to create distinctive decor items and expand their product portfolio with affordable labor costs and unique creations.
- Education
- Involving children in work projects can be an effective learning experience and a chance for practical application of their skills, building their confidence and connections within working relationships.
