Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

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ATLANTA -- Many young workers will apply for jobs in the construction industry this summer. The U.S. Labor Department reminds employers that some work is too hazardous for employees under the age of 18. Employers can learn more about the restrictions for minors performing hazardous work and recent changes to youth employment laws, which became effective Feb. 14, by visiting the department’sYouthRules!website,www.youthrules.dol.gov.

“Summer construction jobs enable young workers to learn valuable skills, but the Secretary of Labor has deemed some jobs too hazardous for employees under the age of 18,” said John McKeon, the southeastern regional administrator for the department’s Wage and Hour Division.

The revised Hazardous Occupations Orders of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) now prohibit youths under the age of 18 from working on, near, or in close proximity to roofs, unless they are in an authorized apprenticeship or student-learner program. The orders continue to prohibit minors from operating power-driven equipment and working in trenches.

In May 2002, Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao launched YouthRules!, a public awareness campaign to educate young workers, parents and employers about the jobs that young people can perform and hours they can work to help ensure that teens have positive work experiences.

To learn more about the FLSA provisions applicable to the employment of youth and other laws administered by the Wage and Hour Division call the department’s toll-free number, 1-866-487-9243, or visit the WHD website at www.wagehour.dol.gov.

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