When summer approaches, the number of minors (people under 18 years of age) in the workplace increases, as students who have been in school go on their summer breaks and many look for work. Hiring minors makes good business sense to many companies. Nonetheless, employers must operate in compliance with a variety of labor laws and be knowledgeable of their responsibilities when using child labor.
Child labor is regulated by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state labor laws. Typically, both the FLSA and state labor laws divide minors into two categories: those 14 to 15 years old and those 16 to 17 years old. Younger workers have more restrictions on the types of jobs they can perform, as well as the number of hours they are allowed to work. You can see the U.S. Department of Labor’s
FLSA Child Labor Provisions.
Employers need to be in compliance with child labor laws by regularly reviewing their hiring and employment practices with respect to minors and making sure to provide appropriate training to managers. Florida, Utah, Virginia, and Indiana are examples of states that have made recent amendments to their child labor laws (check out those state updates in this newsletter).
Click
here for our recent blog regarding child labor.
Reach out to your FrankAdvice HR Consultant if you have questions about hiring minors at your company.