Things You Should Know about

Child Labor Laws

Child labor laws are designed to protect the educational

opportunities of youth and prohibit their employment in jobs

that are detrimental to their health and safety. Child labor laws

are applicable to employees under the age of 18. These laws

specify and define various aspects of employment such as

payment of wages, number of workable hours, and safe and

healthful workplace environments. Compliance with, child labor

laws is mandatory for employers. In this article, we will discuss

things you should know about these laws.

Child labor laws

The objective of child labor laws is to protect the rights of

working individuals under the age of 18. These laws create

standards for employers to comply with so that the child

workers are treated without bias.

Restricted jobs

For children under 14-15 years

Rules under child labor laws do not permit children to be

employed in certain types of jobs. For example, they are not

permitted to be employed in jobs operating motor vehicles,

loading/unloading trucks, or working as public messenger

services.

Working in the manufacturing or mining industries or in any

hazardous occupation is prohibited.

16-17 years

Children in this age group cannot be employed in hazardous

occupations.

Laws prohibit children in this age group from working in jobs

that require excavation operation, roofing operation and all work

on or about a roof, operation of power driven circular saws,

band saws, abrasive cutting discs and wood chippers, balers, or

compactors, meat and poultry slaughtering, packing/processing,

power driven metal-forming, pouncing and shearing machines

and power-driven woodworking machines, operating motor

vehicles and forest firefighting.

Hours and days of work permitted

Child labor laws specify the number of hours that are permitted

for employment of children. The number depends on the age

group and type of the industry.

14-15 Years

School going children in the age group 14-15 are permitted up

to 18 hours a week (in work that is permissible under the laws)

when school is in session, and up to 40 hours when school is not

in session.

Further, meals periods and breaks are regulated by state law but

generally minor workers are not permitted to work more than

five hours continuously - without a break of half an hour.

When school is in session, a child can work not longer than

three hours a school day.

When school is not in session because of holidays, child can

work no longer than eight hours.

Work is prohibited before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on any day,

except from June 1st through Labor Day, when nighttime work

hours are extended to 9 p.m.

16-17 years

For children aged 16-17 years, there is no limit on the number of

workable hours a week. However, the job must not be declared

as hazardous by the Secretary of Labor.

Exempted children

There are certain exemptions under child labor laws. These

exemptions apply in terms of the number of workable hours and

age restrictions.

Minors (below 16 years old)enrolled in approved school

administered and school supervised programs may be able to

work beyond the minimum workable hours threshold.

Minors (below 16 years old) working in vocations other than an

agriculture business/company (declared non-hazardous) solely

owned by their parents are exempted from child labor rules.

Such children can work anytime around the clock and for any

number of hours.

Certificate

In certain states, a minor looking for employment must get a

work certificate (work permit).

Such work permit must be issued by an accredited high school

or Department of Labor, depending on state child labor

provisions.

The employer must obtain the appropriate work authorization

such as a work permit from the youth worker.

Minimum wage

Under federal labor laws, working minors must be paid at

least the federal minimum wage per hour. However, if the state

minimum wage is higher than the federal minimum wage,

employers must pay the state minimum wage, which differs

from state to state.

Employers are also permitted to pay youth under the age of

20 $4.25 per hour for the first 90 consecutive calendar days of

employment.

Penalties for violation of the laws

Non-compliance of any type constitutes a violation of the laws

and attracts liability in the form of heavy fines, penalties and

possible criminal prosecution.

The amount of fine per violation differs from state to state. For

example, the amount in Florida is $2,500, whereas in California,

it is at $10,000. And, under the FLSA, the penalty is $11,000.

Child labor laws are important for employers, especially those

employing children in the workplace. For accurate compliance

with these laws, make sure to hire reputable service providers

who could make the job easy and simple.

Labor Law Center specializes in providing compliance labor

law poster solutions to any size business, corporate resellers &

government institutions across US since 1999. For California

employers, we offer California labor law posters. We also

handle Federal contractor labor law poster and industry-specific

requirements. If you are looking for State and Federal labor law

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