Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
With summer employment on the horizon, the attorney general’s office is reminding municipal officials of the laws relating to employment of workers under the age of 18.
The state’s child labor laws, according to the attorney general’s office, were written to “protect young workers who suffer injuries at much higher rates than adults and who need to balance work and education.”
Generally speaking, those under the age of 14 may not be employed in municipal government without a special permit or specific exceptions. For workers under the age of 18, a new work permit for each job must be submitted annually. The permit must be filled out by the minor’s parent or legal guardian, and in some cases may also require a physician’s signature.
The permits may be found online at www.mass.gov/dols/youth.
The attorney general’s office also regulates which hazardous job functions may not be performed by teens under the age of 18.
Minors are allowed to work only specific hours. After 8 p.m., all workers under the age of 18 must have “direct and immediate supervision of an adult supervisor who is located in the workplace and is reasonably accessible to the minor.” There are additional restrictions on how early and late minors may work.
As with all public employees, municipal youth employees are subject to the federal minimum wage law, which is $7.25 per hour.
• Links to attorney general websites for more information:
www.mass.gov/ago/youthemployment
www.laborlowdown.com