by Jacquelyn Lynn

Created on: August 20, 2008

Young Help Wanted! Summer is the time of year when kids are out of school and looking for jobs, but teenagers can be attractive as a potential source of low-cost labor all year round. By providing them a job, you also provide the opportunity for them to develop their own work ethic and financial intelligence. One of the best ways kids learn about money is to get a job and figure out how to manage their wages. But before you post a "help wanted" notice at your nearby high school, think about what you need to know when you tap into the rich resource of fourteen- to seventeen-year-olds.

The Fair Labor Standards Act has set for provisions designed to protect the education opportunities of youths and prohibit their employment in jobs and under conditions detrimental to their health and well-being. The minimum age for most non-farm work is 16; however, 14- and 15-year-olds may be employed outside of school hours in certain occupations under certain conditions.

The basic age-related guidelines of the Fair Labor Standards Act are:

- Youths 18 years or older may perform any job for unlimited hours.

- Youths age 16 and 17 may perform any job not declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor, for unlimited hours. Hazardous jobs include such tasks as operating a meat slicer, driving, working on roofs or on machine shop floors.

- Youths age 14 and 15 may work outside school hours in various non-manufacturing, non-mining, non-hazardous jobs under the following conditions: no more than 3 hours on a school day, 18 hours in a school week, 8 hours on a non-school day, or 40 hours in a non-school week. In addition, they may not begin work before 7:00 a.m. nor work after 7:00 p.m., except from June 1 through Labor Day, when evening work hours are extended until 9:00 p.m.

The Department of Labor requires employers to keep records of the date of birth of employees under age 19, their daily starting and quitting times, daily and weekly hours worked, and their occupation. Keep in mind that, in addition to the federal statutes, most states also have child labor laws that may be more stringent. Check with your own state labor department to see what state regulations apply to your business. When both the federal law and a state law apply, the law setting the higher standards must be observed.

What do you do with them once they're hired?

Beyond the legal requirements, it's best to take a slightly different approach to managing teens. The first experience with serious discipline and responsibility

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