Hiring Teens: What You Need to Know

Plan to hire teens this summer? Make sure you are up to speed with the special laws and considerations you need to take in order to effectively manage them and keep your business safe.

1. Review federal and state laws on teen employment.  Some states have rules on what types of jobs teens are not allowed to perform, and the nation also sets various rules that may keep you from hiring a teen.  To help you gain more info, look under “child labor rules” at www.dol.gov.

2. Know what you must pay in order to meet the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) standards. They set minimum wages, overtime pay, recordkeeping details and more specific to child labor rules affecting full and part time workers in the private sector. The rules vary depending on the age of the young worker and his or her duties. And know this… Once an employee is 18, there are no Federal child labor rules. Additionally, Federal child labor rules do not require work permits.

3. Review the Department of Labor rules of youth employment. Called Youth Rules, you can gain these details at www.youthrules.dol.gov.  Expect to find information and links to almost everything you need to know about both federal and state rules and limits on the hours teens are allowed to work, and jobs they can perform.

Additionally, review the hours and other teen specific details below for teens employed in non-agricultural jobs*:

• Minimum age is 14.
• Those 18 or older may perform any job (hazardous or not) for unlimited hours.
• Youth 16 or 17 may perform any non-hazardous job for unlimited hours.
• Youth 14 and 15 years old may work outside school hours in non-manufacturing, non-mining, non-hazardous jobs. They cannot work more than three hours a day on school days; or more than 40 hours per week when school is not in session.
• During the school year, 14- and 15-year-olds may not work before 7:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. However, during the summer that’s extended to 9:00 p.m.

*State labor laws can differ. Check the list of State Labor Offices to find the appropriate agency in your state. Visit here for more info. 

Finally, be sure to train your teens just like you would any other staffer. Part time or full time, all your employees should understand your store expectations and customer service standards. Be sure to also identify any “off limit” responsibilities, as well.