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Parents should take active role in their teens’ summer employment decisions
Robert Thomas, Information Specialist, Extension & Ag Information, University of Missouri
With school out for the summer, many young teens will be taking summer jobs — some for the first time — and parents should be involved in their children’s employment decisions, said a University of Missouri safety specialist.
“Take an active role in employment decisions of your
children,” said Karen Funkenbusch. “Know where your
teens are working, who they are working for and what
they are required to do.”
Check regularly with your teen to make sure everything
is going okay. Discuss any problems they might be
having, she said. Be sure they have the proper training
and supervision. Watch for signs that the job might be
causing too much physical or mental strain, she said.
Safety is a major concern. Teenagers may not be aware of
their rights, or their employers may not be aware of
child labor laws.
Be sure to know the federal and state child labor laws
for the area in which you live. Federal law limits the
number of hours that 14- and 15-year-olds can work in
non-agricultural worksites.
During the summer, federal law allows 14- and
15-year-olds to work only between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. They
are banned from such jobs as baking or cooking,
operating power-driven machinery including lawn mowers,
climbing ladders, working in warehouses or in
construction, unloading trucks or conveyors, or jobs
that require climbing ladders.
Federal law also prohibits non-agricultural workers
under 18 from operating forklifts or many types of power
equipment such as meat slicers, power saws and bakery
machinery.
By contrast, youth at any time may be employed at any
time in any occupation in agriculture on a farm owned or
operated by their parent or guardian.
“But here again, parents should made sure that all
safety precautions are followed. Statistics show that
agriculture is one of the more dangerous occupations,”
Funkenbusch said. “Each year more than 20 million youths
under the age of 20 are exposed to farm safety hazards.”
Last Updated 05/05/2009
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