Employment Laws for Under 16
The federal regulations that govern youth labor for those16 through 18 years old are less restrictive than laws for workers under age 16. Employment laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act restrict the number of hours young people can work, as well as the type of job a teenager younger than age 16 can have. These laws exist to protect the safety and well-being of young workers.
The Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits employment of minors in occupations and industries that are considered hazardous. Youth workers under age 16 cannot work in public utility or construction jobs, door-to-door sales or warehousing occupations.
Teens who are 13 and younger may deliver newspapers, work as an actor or babysit. Teens who are 14 and 15 may work in an office setting, grocery or retail shop, restaurant, movie theater or gasoline service station. Once teens are employed, the federal law has restrictions on the job duties a young worker may perform. For example, if working in a restaurant, a teenage employee cannot operate power-driven appliances such as meet slicing machines.
According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, teens younger than 16 cannot work more than three hours on a school day and no more than 18 hours during a school week. On a non-school day, minors can work up to eight hours per day. Youth workers under 16 cannot work before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. with one exception. Beginning June 1 through Labor Day, minors may work until 9 p.m.
Wages and Overtime
Federal minimum wage and overtime rules apply to youth workers in the same manner as other employees. However, during the first 90 days of employment, an employer can pay a minor a youth minimum wage of $4.25 per hour. The Fair Labor Standards Act provision regarding overtime also applies to youth workers, but because teens under 16 cannot work more than 40 hours per week, the potential for overtime is limited. The overtime pay rate is one and one-half times the worker's regular wage for hours that exceed 40 in a workweek.
The Fair Labor Standards Act allows minors under age 16 to obtain employment in a family business run by a parent. Minimum age requirements do not apply to youth workers employed by their parents or guardian. The act restricts occupations, however. If the parents are involved in mining or manufacturing or other occupations for which the minimum age requirement is 18, employment of their child is prohibited.
Sherrie Scott is a freelance writer in Las Vegas with articles appearing on various websites. She studied political science at Arizona State University and her education has inspired her to write with integrity and seek precision in all that she does.