Local Jobs for Teens, How Does it All Work?
Q. When will Rock Your Block be available?
A. We are happy to announce that we have launched our Beta in the Twin Cities! We know there are a lot of people all across the US excited about trying Rock Your Block, so sign up here for an invite, and we’ll send you access when Rock Your Block is available in your area.
FAQ for Teens
Q. What types of jobs can I find on Rock Your Block?
A. All sorts of jobs! We help you find everything from odd jobs around your neighborhood (dog walking, babysitting, lawn mowing, snow shoveling, etc.) to part-time or summer jobs with local businesses (community organizations, local restaurants, internships).
Q. How old can I be to use Rock Your Block?
A. Teens that are at least 13 years of age are eligible to create an account and search for jobs on Rock Your Block.
Q. What is a sponsor, and why do I need one?
A. A sponsor is a parent, legal guardian, or organization that agrees to support a teen in his or her entrepreneurial endeavors. Since all teen users of Rock Your Block are between the ages of 13 and 17, it is required to have a parent, legal guardian, or organization representative (over 18 years old) co-sign the Terms of Use in order to activate your account. Accepting the Terms of Use of the application is agreeing to a legal contract.
Q. How many sponsors do I need in order to use Rock Your Block?
A. You only need one sponsorship to activate your account, but additional sponsors will help increase your credibility and give you access to more potential jobs.
Q. How will it give me access to more job postings?
A. You will be able to see job postings from your network of neighbors and your sponsors’ networks of neighbors. Tapping into more people’s networks can help you make more connections and find more work!
Q. I don’t see any jobs near me! What’s the deal?
A. Rock Your Block is still a young and growing company–people and employers in your neighborhood might not know about it yet! You can help us out by spreading the word about Rock Your Block to friends, family, neighbors, AND your parents’ friends and co-workers! Tell them how easy it is to sign up with their Facebook account and post a job or two…or as many as they like! Not only will you help bring more money-making opportunities to yourself, but we at Rock Your Block may have some tricks up our sleeves for rewarding some of our best early recruiters. 
Q. I’m 12. Can I get a Rock Your Block account?
A. Not yet, we’re sorry! Rock Your Block requires some pieces of personal information to help you find opportunities close to where you live. We want to make sure that all users of Rock Your Block are having a safe experience, and we also comply with COPPA–Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.
Q. What happens if I accept a job and then am no longer able to complete it?
A. It is your responsibility to notify the job poster as soon as possible. This is both professional and courteous to your neighbors and your fellow Blockers. When a job poster receives a cancellation message from a Blocker, he or she is able to then offer the job to another teen that applied for it.
Q. If I find a neighbor that wants me to come do work for her on a regular basis, do I need to go through the Rock Your Block application every time to accept the job?
A. We promote and encourage these types of relationships to develop between you and your neighbors. Although you might not need to accept the job over and over through the application, you and your neighbor will need to track it in order to earn you experience stars, or points. The more experience you gain, the more impressive your Rock Your Block resume will look for future employers.
Q. What if a job offer seems too good to be true?
A. It probably is. Trust your gut instinct if something doesn’t seem quite right with a job post. For example, if a post says it will pay $100 for an hour of walking a dog, it’s probably not a good idea to respond to it. You can flag these fishy looking posts and RYB will be sure to investigate. If you’re unsure, ask your sponsor to take a look at the post, and see if they know the neighbor that posted it. That’s why you have one–your sponsor will know what to do!
Q. What happens if a neighbor is not satisfied with my work?
A. If you feel you completed the job to the best of your ability, it will be between you and the neighbor to negotiate an agreement.
Q. Do I have to pay taxes on the money I make through Rock Your Block jobs?
A: Great question! While RYB cannot give tax or legal advice, generally speaking, any income earned is subject to evaluation for possible income tax. We recommend that you speak with your parent, guardian or tax professional to see how your work applies.
FAQ for Sponsors and Parents/Legal Guardians
Q. How do I know my teen is safe using Rock Your Block?
A. Rock Your Block’s highest priority is to ensure your teen’s safety when using this service. We have built in various levels of security to verify users’ identities. Ultimately, it will be the sponsor’s responsibility to do their due diligence to ensure his or her teen is only accepting jobs from trustworthy individuals. We always recommend only accepting jobs from people you and your teen knows. If it is a new connection or neighbor, we encourage the sponsor/parent to go with the teen to meet the neighbor before the job is performed.
Q. Do I get a discount if I sponsor more than one teen?
A. Yes!
Q. How do I know what my teen is doing on Rock Your Block?
A. When you set up your sponsorship account, you can indicate which notifications you would like to receive when there is activity on your teen’s account.
Q. Can I also post jobs on Rock Your Block?
A. Yes. All sponsors have the ability to post jobs in their network!
FAQ for Job Posters
Q. How many teens will be able to see my job posting?
A. Job posts are filtered by both the teens’ geolocation and their interests. For example, if they choose to view posts for dog-walking jobs within a 10-mile radius of their home, and your posting fits that criteria, the teens will see it.
Q. How will I find out when teens reply to the posting?
A. By default, you will receive a notification within the application and an email notification every time a teen applies to a job. You can change your notification preferences in your profile settings.
Q. How do I pay the teen for his or her work?
A. You may agree on a price for the work within your communications on Rock Your Block. When the job is completed, you may decide to pay the teen in cash. Future RYB features will allow you to pay the teen through a convenient, secure, instant online transaction.
Q: Do I need to withhold taxes when paying teens through Rock Your Block?
A: While RYB cannot give tax or legal advice, generally speaking, payments through 3rd parties or services are subject to evaluation for possible tax withholding. We recommend that you seek further information from a tax professional or from the IRS via irs.gov
