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Guidelines and Laws for Teen Employees

Guidelines and Laws for Teen Employees:

Let’s Get Legal!

Exceptions to Limits on Teen Work

There are some exceptions to these limits for working teens. For example, many states have tighter restrictions on the hours a minor can work on a farm. Minors employed by their parents, on the other hand, do not have as many restrictions on times and days worked. Check out the FLSA for more details.

Guidelines for Teen Jobs

There are laws restricting when you can work and what you can do. Teens hired for non-agricultural employment (which is just about everything other than farm work) must be at least 14 years old.

In some states, like Pennsylvania, if you are under 18, you may need to obtain working papers (officially called Employment/Age Certificates) in order to legally be able to work. Get them ahead of time, so you will be ready to start work once you are hired.

When You Can Work

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets requirements related to the employment of minors. According to the FLSA, 14 is the minimum age for work in the U.S. (at least in non-agricultural jobs).

While 14- and 15-year-olds can work, there are limits to the hours they can take. They cannot take shifts during school hours and are limited to a total of three hours each school day (18 hours total per school week) or eight hours each non-school day (40 hours per non-school week).

There are also limits to the times of day a 14- or 15-year-old can work. They can work from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the school year (Labor Day through May 31) and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the summer (between June 1 and Labor Day).

When you reach 16 years old, many of these restrictions are removed. You can work as many hours as you would like during any week. The only remaining restriction is that you cannot work in a job considered hazardous by the FLSA.

Once you turn 18 (and are no longer a minor), there are no limits to how many hours you can work, what weeks you work or where you work.

Where You Can Work

14-and 15-year-olds can work in restaurants, stores and other non-manufacturing, non-mining and non-hazardous jobs.

Where You Cannot Work

14-and 15-year-olds cannot work in jobs that the Labor Department considers hazardous. These include (but are not limited to) jobs in excavation, manufacturing explosives, mining, and positions that involve using power-driven equipment.

14-and 15-year-olds cannot work in jobs that the Labor Department considers hazardous. These include (but are not limited to) jobs in excavation, manufacturing explosives, mining, and positions that involve using power-driven equipment.

Watch this space for more information on job advice and tips for teens and young adults.


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