What are the hours a teenager can work during the school year?
What is the minimum age required to work a part-time job? How many hours can a minor work? Much is dependent upon the teenager, their parents’ attitudes toward teen employment, and the teen’s academic and extracurricular obligations.
Nevertheless, there is one obstacle to a part-time work for even the most conscientious adolescent who has supportive parents and sufficient leisure time: the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Workers who are fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen years old are subject to the restrictions imposed by this statute.
Take a look at the rules and regulations regarding the minimum age and maximum hours that a minor can work.
Important Information
- Limits on hiring people under the legal age of 18 vary by season, day of the week, kind of labor, and other factors.
- When there are differences between federal and state regulations, the one that provides the greatest protection for the child will take precedence.
- When a child works for their parents or guardians, some age-based work limits don’t apply to them.
Federal Law Establishes Minimum Employment Ages
Depending on factors such as the worker’s age, the season, the day of the week, and other factors, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) imposes employment limits on minor workers. These are defined as workers who are under the age of 18.
Workers in non-agricultural occupations are required to be at least 14 years old according to the Fair Labor Standards Act. It is illegal for people between the ages of 14 and 18 to work in jobs that the US Department of Labor considers dangerous. Work requiring certain types of power-driven machinery falls under this category, as do activities such as mining, excavating, and explosives production. On rare occasions, employers in potentially dangerous sectors may hire minors, but only for specific, approved jobs.
State Law
Federal and state labor rules are not always consistent. When this occurs, the legislation that is more protective of the minor is the one that can be applied.
If, for instance, your state’s law stipulates that no one under the age of 18 can hold employment in a dangerous industry, regardless of whether the job has been deemed safe, then you must adhere to this restriction.
Keep in mind
For further information on the rules and pay for young workers in your area, you may check the labor laws of your state.
The hours teens can legally work
Additionally, there are age-specific work regulations that deal specifically with children.
Under 14: For children under the age of fourteen, it is illegal to work in any field other than agriculture unless their parents are working in a non-hazardous business.
Ages 14–15: Students in this age bracket are limited to working only during school breaks. Also, there are restrictions on the number of hours they may put in every day. They have the option to work up to three hours each day while school is in session, for a total of eighteen hours per week. They have the option to work up to 40 hours in a non-school week, which includes 8 hours on non-school days.
Keep in mind
The Department of Labor’s work-study program and state-sponsored vocational exploration programs are two exceptions to this rule that allow minors to work extra hours. Lastly, minors in the above categories are restricted to working at certain times of the day. A typical workday for them begins at 7 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m. On the other hand, they are permitted to work between the hours of seven in the morning and nine in the evening from June 1 through Labor Day.
Anyone between the ages of 16 and 17 is legally able to work as many hours as they choose. However, if you are under the age of 18, you are not permitted to work in a job that the Labor Department considers to be hazardous, as was explained earlier.
People who are 18 years of age or older are not subject to any restrictions on the number of hours they can work.
Exceptions to the Rules
When a child is hired by a parent or legal guardian, the age-based employment limitations often do not apply to the them. Of course, they still cannot work in dangerous occupations. No one, even relatives, may legally engage a minor to work in a hazardous industry like mining or manufacturing.
Teenage Workers’ Minimum Wage and the Federal Minimum Wage
In most cases, employers should pay teen workers at least $7.25 per hour, which is the federal minimum wage. For the first ninety calendar days of employment, any worker under the age of twenty is eligible to receive the $4.25 youth minimum wage, also known as the statutory minimum wage. During the first ninety days of their new job, a worker who is under the age of twenty may be eligible for this reduced rate of pay from their new employer.
Minimum Wages by State
While the federal minimum wage is the base rate, several states and municipalities have established minimum wages that are higher; nevertheless, these wages may not be applicable to younger employees. In light of these minimum wage hikes, some states have considered raising their own minimum wages or creating special exemptions for minors.
Before you apply for a job or give your teenager permission to work, you should research the local, state, and federal regulations that apply to minors in the workforce. Employers are typically required to follow both federal and state laws.
