California Child Labor Laws set rules for work permits, wages, and job roles for minors under 18 in different industries. Teens have restricted hours and must meet state pay requirements, with tighter conditions during school periods.
By Brad Nakase, Attorney
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Employers must familiarize themselves with the Child Labor Laws in California before hiring teens. First and foremost, you should become acquainted with the FLSA (Federal Fair Labor Standards Act), which governs working minors. Minors are restricted in a number of ways, including the kind of sectors they may engage in and the number of hours they can work in a day or week.
One of the foundational aspects of Child Labor Laws in California is the requirement for work permits. The school has to give a work permit to minors. This law, however, only applies to minors who are under the age of eighteen and have not yet earned their high school diploma. A form must be completed by the minor & the prospective employer in order to obtain this permit. After being authorized by the minor’s guardians and the business, it becomes legally binding.
To determine whether to grant the work permit or not, the form is sent back to the institution. This aligns with governmental policy, which prioritizes the education of minors.
According to federal labor legislation, employers must give workers under 20 years old an “opportunity wage.” For the first ninety days of employment, opportunity wages are paid, which are less than the minimum legal pay. Child Labor Laws in California override this. Employers in California must pay students no less than 85 percent of the state’s minimum wage during the initial 160 hours of child labor. In this context, a learner is any employee, regardless of age, who has no previous understanding of the job in question.
When the two aforementioned clauses are not applicable, a juvenile has the legal right to receive $10.50 an hour, which is the state’s entire minimum wage. For the initial 160 hours, the youngster has the right to the learner’s pay when both clauses are applicable. He or she should then be paid the entire statutory minimum wage.
Minors are not allowed to work an infinite number of hours according to Child Labor Laws in California. The following are the limited hours for minors under California’s child labor legislation:
Age group 14–15: Students who have completed the seventh grade are eligible to work during the school day. On school days, they are open for three hours each day and up to eighteen hours each week. They are permitted to work up to eight hours per day and forty hours per week during the summer and holiday seasons.
Age group 16–17: On school days, they are able to work four hours a day and forty-eight hours a week. They can work eight hours a day, forty-eight hours a week, whenever school isn’t in session.
Teens under the age of 14 are limited in the kind of employment they can perform per the Child Labor Laws in California. They are legally permitted to deliver newspapers and carry out odd household tasks. People older than 14 can work in a wide range of occupations. They may work in food service, retail, and office settings. They are prohibited, therefore, from engaging in dangerous occupations such as loading, manufacturing, machine-driven work, and other related occupations.
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