AG reminds employers about laws for youth employment

With summer employment on the horizon, the office of Attorney General Andrea Campbell is reminding municipal officials of the laws relating to employment of workers under the age of 18.

The attorney general’s office enforces laws relating to the employment of workers under 18 and the payment of wages. The laws were written to protect young workers, who suffer injuries at much higher rates than adults and who need to balance work and education, according to Campbell’s office.

Anyone responsible for employing or supervising minors should be familiar with the following legal requirements:
• Minors younger than 14 may not work except for a few exceptions, such as babysitting, working as a news carrier, working on farms, or working in entertainment (with a special waiver).

• Workers under the age of 18 need a new work permit for every job. The application for a work permit must be filled out by the parent or guardian, the minor, and the employer and submitted to the school district where the child lives or attends school. Minors who are ages 14 or 15 also need a physician’s signature. (Click here for more information about work permits and to download an application.)

• Teens under age 18 may not do certain kinds of dangerous work. For a list of prohibited tasks for minors aged 14-15 and 16-17, visit the AG’s website at www.mass.gov/ago/youthemployment.

• After 8 p.m., all workers under 18 must have the direct and immediate supervision of an adult supervisor who is located in the workplace and is reasonably accessible to the minor.

• Massachusetts law controls how early and how late minors may work and how many hours they may work, based on their age. To determine the legal work hours, visit the AG’s website at www.mass.gov/ago/youthemployment.