Marilynne Harrison, 77, might be long retired from formal work but she plays a crucial role in her daughter Jemma’s online tea business, spending up to five hours a week packing and posting orders, and sorting through her mail.
It helps Jemma, 42, keep her business, Four Twentea CBD teas, running, especially as she’s often away for two months at a time, working her day job as a private chef on superyachts, serving up gourmet meals to billionaire clients and celebrity guests like Beyonce, Cliff Richard and Chris Evans.
It’s an ideal scenario, as the on-off nature of the work means it’s not easy for Cornwall-based Jemma to commit to hiring a part-time employee. Marilynne keeps a stock of Four Twentea tea in her Lincolnshire home, and when she receives an order via email, packs it as soon as she’s able to and takes it to her local post office. Marilynne has also attended trade shows with Jemma.
Yet Jemma hasn’t exactly hired Marilynne. Marilynne works for free, which saves her daughter around £5,200 a year in staff wages – a total of around £20,800 since Marilynne got on board in 2019.
“Working on the superyachts is great money, and you have a great time, but you just can’t do anything back home consistently,” says Jemma.
“So when I set up the business, it was a choice between staying at home and really putting everything into the business, but being completely skint, then risking the business failing because you’ve put all your money into it. Or – bring Mum in, so I can go off and earn the money in order to be able to build a business financially. I deal with the website and suppliers, but the actual physical stuff is up to Mum.”
For Marilynne, who spent 19 years working at Tesco, then nine years at a charity shop until she broke her hip, working with Jemma keeps her busy, alongside her hobbies of lawn bowls and golf. She’s also the mayor of her local town, Winterton.
“It keeps you young. Some people my age have got one foot in the grave, because they don’t do anything. They’re just sitting around, waiting to die. I think, once you stop, that’s it, you are dead. So my thing is – keep going,” says Marilynne.
It’s also a way to ensure some fairness in how Marilynne helps all her children – her other daughter and son have children of their own that she regularly babysits, while Jemma doesn’t. Jemma has, however, taken Marilynne on holidays to places like France and Morocco as a thank you.
Marilynne represents a growing number of people over 65 with the desire to keep working. Around one in nine Britons are now working past the age of 65, compared with one in 20 24 years ago, research from the Centre for Ageing Better shows, with the majority of these working past time.
A 2022 survey from small business payments and orders platform, SumUp, found that amongst UK-based family businesses, around a third of family members have helped out by working unpaid hours in their free time.
But purpose can be just as good as payment, argues Vikki Yaffe, founder and chie executive of productivity coaching company TimeHackers.
“I’m sure Marilynne feels great being able to support her child with their small business which, I’m sure she is very proud of. She is also able to contribute to our economy, by supporting a small business and bringing in her own expertise,” says Ms Yaffe.
Informal opportunities like this can also fill a gap in the workplace where employers may not necessarily have such part-time opportunities available for older people.
“How many people are willing to hire a 77-year-old? Who is creating opportunities for people this age to engage, participate, and add value? How many jobs can provide such flexibility? Not many, if any,” Ms Yaffe observes.
“It’s important to note how this flexibility gives someone plenty of space for rest, play, travel, seeing loved ones and whatever else they want to do with her time, without having to book holiday days, or feel like they are letting someone down one week by being away.
“This story is a beautiful example of a win-win, and a powerful opportunity for us all to consider: who and what are we dismissing when it comes to getting our small businesses supported? It’s also a reminder that money isn’t a sole motivator for every person, at every stage in life.”
But people like Jemma need to be wary of HMRC, as legally, if a family member working for you doesn’t live with you, they need to be on the payroll, as Kate Palmer, employment services director at small business consultancy, Peninsula, advises.
“While a mother may be more than happy to help a daughter out by doing work free of charge, it’s not that simple in the eyes of the law. There are protections in place, such as National Minimum Wage requirements, to ensure that everyone gets paid for the work they do – regardless of their relationship with an employer,” says Palmer.
“If a family member is doing work that an employee would be paid to do, then HMRC will take the stance that they should be paid.”
Jemma and Marilynne say they love having a reason to spend time together, and have become closer as a result.
“We have a good bond and we have a good giggle together,” says Marilynne.
“Would you not do it for your own daughter? I wouldn’t expect to be paid. I’m her mother.”