OSHA Teen Worker Rules Summary
OSHA Teen and Youth Worker Rules and Rights
Related information on other pages about teen workers for Educators | Employers | Spanish Links | Potential Hazards | Real Stories | What's New | Questions | Other Resources | Credits | Comments | DOL Youth2Work
You have the right to:
A safe and healthful workplace free of recognized hazards. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) within the Department of Labor has primary responsibility for setting and enforcing standards through the OSH Act of 1970 to promote safety and health, including the health and safety of young workers.
Worker Rights under the Act
 | Refuse to work if you believe in good faith that the job or conditions are dangerous and are exposing you to imminent danger. Call (800)321-OSHA immediately to report imminent dangers.
| | Speak up! If you notice a safety hazard at work, report it to your supervisor or boss. If they don't address your concerns, file a complaint with OSHA or your state labor offices.
Please remember, it is illegal for your employer to punish or fire you for reporting a workplace problem.
| | Work only the limited hours and at the types of work permitted by state and federal laws. Federal child labor laws and state labor laws apply if you are under 18 years old.
 | Non-agricultural youth workers: hours permitted and jobs permitted | | Agricultural youth workers: hours permitted and jobs permitted
| | | Use required personal protective equipment, including safety clothing, hard hats, goggles, ear plugs, and get training on how to use them properly.
| | Get training about health and safety, including information about machines, job tasks, and hazardous chemicals that could be harmful to your health.
| | Demand payment for your work, at least minimum wage for your state. There are some exceptions:
| Minimum Wage Laws in the United States | | States Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees | | Downloadable Poster Describing rights of Employee
| | | Ask for payment for medical care (workers' compensation) if you get injured or sick because of your job. You may also be entitled to payment for lost wages if you miss work because of your injury.
| | Work without racial or sexual harassment. Contact the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission to report racial or sexual harassment.
| Laws and Prohibitions:
| Know the Federal child labor laws and the State child labor laws for the area in which you live, so you can recognize if employers are following the law. For example, are employers working your teens longer hours than allowed or in unsafe conditions?
| Federal law limits the number and hours that 14- and 15-year-olds can work in non-agricultural worksites.
 | They are not permitted to work during school hours, or before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. between Labor Day and June 1. During the summer, they can work only between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. (Again, state laws may be more stringent.) When school is in session, teens aren't allowed to work more than 18 hours each week, more than three hours on a school day, or more than eight hours on a weekend day or holiday. When school is not in session, they're prohibited from working more than 40 hours each week or eight hours per day.
| | | Here's an example of of jobs and work-related activities that the federal government prohibits for non-agricultural workers under 18. (Some states have even stricter regulations)
| Driving a motor vehicle as a regular part of the job or operate a forklift
| | Operating many types of power equipment such as meat slicers, power saws, and bakery machinery
| | Wrecking, demolition, excavation, or roofing
| | Logging, mining, or working in sawmills
| | Meat packing or slaughtering
| | Any job involving exposure to radiation
| | Any job where explosives are manufactured or stored
| | | Anyone age 14 or 15 is also banned from the following jobs or work-related activities:
| Baking or cooking
| | Operating power-driven machines such as lawnmowers and electric hedge clippers. (Low-risk machines like photocopiers and computers are alright.)
| | Climbing ladders or scaffolding
| | Working in warehouses
| | Manufacturing, building, or working in construction
| | Loading or unloading trucks, railroad cars, or conveyors | |
| For a complete list of prohibited jobs see the Fair Labor Standards Act Advisor.
| | Youth of any age may be employed at any time, in any occupation in agriculture on a farm owned or operated by their parent or guardian.
See the DOL elaws Child Labor Laws advisor for more information on agricultural employment.
| | For more information
| See the "My State" page. |
| Youth and Labor Hazardous Jobs U.S. DOL Hazardous Jobs and the Fair Labor Standards Act. |
| For questions about the Fair Labor Standards Act, see the U.S. DOL Employment Standards Administration interactive advisor. | Other Resources for Teen Workers:
General
| Preventing Deaths, Injury and Illnesses to Young Workers, NIOSH Alert. NIOSH Publication No. 2003-128. This Alert summarizes available information about work-related injuries among young workers, identifies work that is especially hazardous, and offers recommendations for prevention, (2003, July).
| | YouthRules! U.S. Dept of Labor's website to increase public awareness of federal and state rules concerning young workers. YouthRules! Compliance Assistance includes:
| Employer Guides | | Fact Sheets | | Poster, Stickers, and Bookmarks.
| | | Young Worker Safety and Health. NIOSH Young Worker Safety and Health Topic Page.
| | Child Labor Publications. eLaws Fair Labor Standards Act Advisor.
| | YoungWorkers.org. California's resource network for youth worker's health and safety.
| For Teens | | FAQs (youth work answers for California) | |
| Labor Occupational Health Program-Youth Workers. University of California at Berkeley.
| | Help for Teen Workers, Information for Minors, Parents, Employers and Educators. Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
| | Interstate Labor Standards Association (ILSA). Includes information on state agencies that administer and enforce child labor laws.
| | International Child Labor. DOL child labor issues.
| | Promoting Safe Work for Young Workers. CDC NIOSH, 1999, November Pub. 99-141. A resource guide documenting the experiences of three young worker projects.
| | NIOSH Special Hazard Review - Child Labor Research Needs. Recommendations from the NIOSH Child Labor working team, (August 1997).
| | SkillsUSA. A national organization of secondary and post secondary students involved in vocational education.
| | Career Clusters Website. Career clusters provide an organizing tool for schools, small learning communities, academies, and magnet schools.
| | National Children's Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety. A national organization that strives to enhance the health and safety of all children exposed to the hazards associated with agricultural work and rural environments.
| | Youth Fatalities. NIOSH FACE investigation reports of Young Worker Fatalities under the age of 18.
| | The Young and the Reckless? Occupational Health & Safety Magazine article on youth injuries and deaths in the workplace.
| | UCLA-LOSH - Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program - Youth Project. UCLA-LOSH partners with high school educators, career advisors, life-skills coordinators, and community-based organizations to address teen worker issues.
| | Young Worker Health & Safety Centre - WorkSafe British Columbia. Online resources for workers, employers, unions, educators, parents, and youth.
| | Job Corps Website. Job Corps is the nation's largest and most comprehensive residential, education and job training program for at-risk youth, ages 16 through 24.
| | Protecting Young Workers. OSHA and the Department of Labor are reaching out to one of the most vulnerable classes of workers. Job Safety and Health Quarterly, (2003, Winter), Volume 13 no 2. | Articles and Guides for Teen Workers
| Are you a Working Teen? NIOSH Pub. No. 96-132.
| | Why is Job Safety and Health Training Important for Teens? PowerPoint presentation, 37 slides. Young Worker Safety Resource Center. Labor Occupational Health Program, University of California Berkeley.
| | Young Worker Safety and Health NIOSH Site. NIOSH programs, reports, and research on young workers.
| | Young Worker Awareness Program. Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, Ontario Canada.
| | You Need More Than a Job To Be Ready for Work. Saskatchewan Labour.
| | OSH's Website for Youth. Occupational Safety and Health Service of the Department of Labour, New Zealand youth website.
| | Workplace Health and Safety's Interactive Cafe. Queensland Government - Department of Industrial Relations.
| | Health and Safety for Kids on the Farm. NIOSH, 1997.
| | Find It! by Audience - Students. Information and services from the DOL for students.
| | US DOL Employment and Training Administration. Directing business, adults, and youth to training and employment services.
| | Do you have a worker complaint you would like to file with OSHA?
| | Young Worker - Resources. Young Worker Health & Safety Centre, WorkSafe British Columbia.
| | (CCAR)-GreenLink Virtual Shop. National Automotive Environmental Compliance Assistance Center. Provides a graphical tutorial to help promote a safe and healthful working environment for the automotive repair industry.
| | New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH), Youth on the Job Factsheets:
| Youth on the Job factsheet #1: Your Rights. 512 KB PDF, 1 page. |
| Youth on the Job factsheet #2: Hazards at Work. 134 KB PDF, 1 page. |
| Youth on the Job factsheet #3: Stand Up for Your Rights. 512 KB PDF, 1 page. |
| Youth on the Job factsheet #4: Repetitive Strain Injuries. 1.3 MB PDF, 1 page. |
| Youth on the Job factsheet #5: Chemical Soup. 290 KB PDF, 1 page. |
| Youth on the Job factsheet #6: Violence at Work. 1.6 MB <>PDF, 1 page. | |
This page was updated on
30-Mar-2016
