Does that kid at the corner restaurant seem a bit young to be working? Child labor laws are not just broken overseas. You should know where your clothes are being manufactured to ensure they are child labor-free. Be a whistleblower if you find out that local Baie-Comeau business are using underage workers.
The Department of Labor (DOL) is the sole federal agency that monitors child labor and enforces child labor laws. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets wage, hours worked, and safety requirements for minors (individuals under age 18) working in jobs covered by the statute. The rules vary depending upon the particular age of the minor and the particular job involved. As a general rule, the FLSA sets 14 years of age as the minimum age for employment, and limits the number of hours worked by minors under the age of 16.
Under the FLSA, youths 14 and 15 years old may work outside school hours in various non-manufacturing, non-mining, non-hazardous jobs under certain conditions.
Permissible work hours for 14 and 15-year-olds are:
- Three hours on a school day.
- 18 hours in a school week.
- Eight hours on a non-school day.
- 40 hours in a non-school week.
- Between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., except from June 1 through Labor Day, when night time work hours are extended to 9 p.m.
The federal minimum wage is $5.15 per hour. However, a special minimum wage of $4.25 per hour applies to employees under the age of 20 during their first 90 consecutive calendar days of employment with an employer. After 90 days, the FLSA requires employers to pay the full federal minimum wage.
Child labor laws vary from state from state. Please consult your state department of labor for this information. Employers must comply with both federal and state labor laws.
For more information on child labor in the United States, please visit the DOL's youth labor web page.
You may also wish to view the YouthRules! website for more information about federal and state labor laws that apply to young workers.
Finally, Executive Order 13126 on the "Prohibition of Acquisition of Products Produced by Forced or Indentured Child Labor," is designed to prevent federal agencies from buying products that have been made with forced or indentured child labor. Under procurement regulations implementing the Executive Order, federal contractors who supply products on a list published by the Department of Labor (DOL) must certify that they have made a good faith effort to determine whether forced or indentured child labor was used to produce the items listed.