Child Labor Laws

Child labor Laws are rules set by congress that enforces the protect working children. The U.S. needed more children in the factories, so they paid them low wages than adults. In 1938, congress passed the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) which limits the employment and abuse of child workers. In the Federal laws there’s a certain age that children can work. Children must be at least fourteen years old to work in any non-agriculture work. The ages 14-15 are allowed to work, but there are limits to the kinds of jobs they can have, and the hours they can work. Their hours are limited to 3 hours on a school day during the school year. Working hours can increase during the days that there is no school and summer to 8 hours a day. There are certain jobs 4-15 can only work. For example, they can be employed in tutoring jobs, delivery jobs, cashier retail jobs, teaching and tutoring jobs, and more. They cannot do any jobs that are considered risky. 16-17 years old can work unlimited amount of hours with the exception of those announced dangerous by the federal government.

If you’re under 16 then you cannot work under school hours. Once a child turns 18 years old, they are now considered an adult meaning they can work in any legal field and an unlimited amount of hours. The average salary per hour for a child is $4.25. Workers under eighteen are required to fill out working papers (officially called Employment or Age Certificates) in order to legally be able to work. In state laws it’s different, they limit the age required to start working, the number of hours worked in the week, and day. Individual states sometimes required the work permit to start working while the child is still enrolled in high school. If an employer is considering hiring a child under 18, it is imperative they confirm they are in consent with both state and federal youth labor laws.

Another act that protects children is the OSHA (Occupational Safety And Health Administration). The OSHA guarantees the safety and health of the workers in the workplace. This consists of employers providing appropriate protective equipment to help protect younger workers from the dangers in the work environment. Employers must make young workers aware of the dangers in the jobs and train them on what to do in case of an emergency. Also, employers must provide a poster by the DOL of your state labor department informing young workers of the protection of the OSHA and its amendments. I believe that the rules put in place by the FLSA and OSHA is helpful, however, the age limit to start working should be 16. The parents and teachers should do a better job at monitoring the child during their job. Children should also be allowed to work at their own pace. If anyone violates the punishments they should be fined or fired.

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