Youth Working Rights and Requirements: Wages, Ages and Breaks

What Jobs may youths legally do?  What are the standards are what are their rights?  There is a Federal law, the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act)  and some separate state laws that define youth labor requirements and conditions.  

Jobs Youth Can Do:

• 13 or younger: baby-sit, deliver newspapers, or work as an actor or performer
• Ages 14-15: office work, grocery store, retail store, restaurant, movie theater, or amusement park
• Age 16-17: Any job not declared hazardous
• Age 18: No restrictions

Hours Youth Ages 14 and 15 Can Work:

• After 7 am and until 7 pm
• (Hours are extended to 9 pm June 1–Labor Day)
• Up to 3 hours on a school day
• Up to 18 hours in a school week
• Up to 8 hours on a non-school day
• Up to 40 hours in a non-school week

Note:

  1. Different rules apply to youth employed in agriculture.
  2. States also regulate the hours that youth under age 18 may work.

Enforcement, Compliance and Assistance

Contact the Wage-Hour Division to report a potential FLSA violation, at:

OSHA also has requirements and conditions to protect the safety of youths in the workplace

For your State's Information:

 

This page was updated on 21-Feb-2008