Legal Concerns Regarding Youth Employment
By: C. Bates
If you are the parent or guardian of a teen who wishes to work part-time, you may have concerns regarding the legal implications for your teen while entering the work world. By understanding the legal implications of youthful employment you can advise your teen and monitor his or her safety and legal rights. If you are a youth development professional you may want to understand those legal implications so you can advise both the youth with whom you work, and their parents or guardians. Although you value the experience the youth will likely gain through his or her experience in the working world, you also, like the youth’s parents or guardians, are concerned for the safety and legal rights of those youth.
It is virtually impossible and arguably inadvisable for youth under the age of 14 to be employed by any formal business in which they are not closely related to the owner. The restrictions on the work that can be performed and the number of hours they are permitted to work and when the work may occur are so strict even for youth ages 14 and 15 that most employers will not hire youth until they have reached the age of 16. Whether you are the parent or guardian of a teen child or a youth development professional you should familiarize yourself with the restrictions and rights of youth.
Federal laws restrict the industries and positions youth may work in, the type of work they may perform, and equipment they may use. Most states and territories of the U.S. have similarly structured youth employment regulations, including for hours of work.
There are available Internet resources from our federal government and the government of most states and territories. For more information on federal and state working regulations for youth, visit:
General federal employment laws and safety laws:
Youth Rules!: Preparing the 21st Century Workforce (U.S. Department of Labor)
http://www.youthrules.dol.gov/index.htm
Federal wage and hour laws:
Look under “Child Labor”
http://www.dol.gov/whd/
State wage and hour laws:
Labor and Employment Laws in the 50 States and the Territories:
http://www.youthrules.dol.gov/law-library/state-laws/index.htm
Child Labor Requirements in Nonagricultural Occupations Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) – Child Labor Bulletin No. 101:
http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/childlabor101_text.htm
Child Labor Requirements in Agricultural Occupations Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) – Child Labor Bulletin No. 102:
http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/childlabor102.pdf
Fact sheets and Publications:
http://www.dol.gov/whd/childlabor.htm
It is virtually impossible and arguably inadvisable for youth under the age of 14 to be employed by any formal business in which they are not closely related to the owner. The restrictions on the work that can be performed and the number of hours they are permitted to work and when the work may occur are so strict even for youth ages 14 and 15 that most employers will not hire youth until they have reached the age of 16. Whether you are the parent or guardian of a teen child or a youth development professional you should familiarize yourself with the restrictions and rights of youth.
Federal laws restrict the industries and positions youth may work in, the type of work they may perform, and equipment they may use. Most states and territories of the U.S. have similarly structured youth employment regulations, including for hours of work.
There are available Internet resources from our federal government and the government of most states and territories. For more information on federal and state working regulations for youth, visit:
General federal employment laws and safety laws:
Youth Rules!: Preparing the 21st Century Workforce (U.S. Department of Labor)
http://www.youthrules.dol.gov/index.htm
Federal wage and hour laws:
Look under “Child Labor”
http://www.dol.gov/whd/
State wage and hour laws:
Labor and Employment Laws in the 50 States and the Territories:
http://www.youthrules.dol.gov/law-library/state-laws/index.htm
Child Labor Requirements in Nonagricultural Occupations Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) – Child Labor Bulletin No. 101:
http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/childlabor101_text.htm
Child Labor Requirements in Agricultural Occupations Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) – Child Labor Bulletin No. 102:
http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/childlabor102.pdf
Fact sheets and Publications:
http://www.dol.gov/whd/childlabor.htm