08/ 22/ 2005
from the U.S. Department of Labor
Each year, millions of teens work part-time or take summer jobs. College students heading back to campus are also looking to make a buck or two while working toward their degrees. These working teens and students are gaining valuable work skills and contributing enthusiasm and eagerness to businesses across the country. Special federal and state laws govern their employment, and the U.S. Department of Labor offers resources to help employers understand these regulations. DOL’s YouthRules! Web site educates users about various rules for young workers, including the hours they can work, the jobs they can perform and how to prevent workplace injuries.
Wage and hour rules
An employer who chooses to employ teens under the age of 16 should be familiar with the wage and hour requirements for youth workers. Until youths turn 14, they’re allowed only to act, baby sit, deliver newspapers or work for a business owned solely by their parents. While they can seek other jobs at 14 and 15, youths face strict policies regarding how many hours they can work. During the school year, they can work only for three hours a day on weekdays and a total of 18 hours during any week. While school is in recess (typically June through August), they can work only up to 40 hours each week. Teens 16 and older can work an unlimited amount during any week.
Teens often seek jobs in restaurants and other food establishments. While a teen under 16 can work in such a setting, he or she cannot be involved with cooking or baking or any type of meat preparation. Permitted job tasks include cashiering, cleanup work, bagging customers’ orders and other office and clerical tasks.
Teens ages 16 or 17 do not face as stringent rules regarding job tasks and hours worked. However, they are still forbidden to work in any job declared hazardous. Hazardous jobs include mining, meatpacking or processing, logging and roofing.
Teen drivers
While teens are often excited to drive, they’re usually restricted from most driving-related jobs until 18. Besides not being able to operate a motor vehicle, 14- and 15-year-olds are not permitted to assist a driver, including transporting any property or persons or loading and unloading goods from trucks, railroad cars or conveyors. Additionally, those under 17 are not permitted to drive a motor vehicle or be an outside helper on a motor vehicle. Seventeen-year-olds may drive as part of their job, but only if it is during daylight hours and does not consume more than one-third of their time each day or 20 percent of their time during any workweek. Other restrictions as to what size vehicles and what items they may transport as well as what distances they can travel also exist.
Besides being in compliance with federal laws, it’s important to comply with state standards as well. Underlying themes of both state and federal regulations are youths’ health and safety. Further guidance on how to create a safe and healthy work environment for teens is available at DOL’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Teen Workers Web Site.
