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November 5, 2008 DOL Home > elaws Advisors > FLSA - Child Labor Rules Advisor |
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Exemptions from Child Labor Rules in Non-AgricultureComplete Child Labor Exemptions The Fair Labor Standards Act provides for certain exemptions. Youth younger than 16 years of age working in a business solely owned by their parents or by persons standing in place of their parents, can work any time of day and for any number of hours. However, parents are prohibited from employing their child in manufacturing or mining or in any of the occupations declared hazardous by the Secretary of Labor. In addition, the child labor rules do not apply to:
Partial Exemptions from Non-Agricultural Hazardous Order Prohibitions Limited exemptions from some of the hazardous occupations rules allow 16- and 17- year-old apprentices and student-learners to perform otherwise prohibited work (hazardous jobs) under certain conditions. The hazardous occupations in which youth may work if the those conditions are met are: HO #5 Power-driven woodworking machines; HO #8 Power-driven metal-forming, punching and shearing machines; HO #10 Meat packing or processing (including the use of power-driven meat slicing machines); HO #12 Power-driven paper-product machines, including scrap paper balers and paper box compactors; HO #14 Power-driven circular saws, band saws, and guillotine shears; HO #16 Roofing operations and all work on or about a roof; and HO #17 Excavation operations. There are no similar exemptions from the hazardous occupations rules for youth younger than 16. 14- and 15-year-olds, however, may be employed in approved school-administered and school-supervised Work Experience and Career Exploration Programs. Such programs allow variations in the rules and permit employment during school hours, for as many as 23 hours in school weeks, and in otherwise prohibited occupations for which an official exception has been authorized by the Department of Labor. FLSA Section 13(c)(7) creates a limited exemption from the youth employment provisions for certain minors 14 through 17 years of age who are excused from compulsory school attendance beyond the eighth grade. This exemption allows eligible youth to be employed inside and outside of businesses that use machinery to process wood products (such as sawmills, furniture manufacturers, garden shed and gazebo manufacturers, cabinet makers and pallet shops) with some restrictions, but does not allow them to operate or assist in the operation of power-driven woodworking machinery. Note: All states have child labor rules and mandatory school attendance laws. You may want to check on your state rules after you have completed this section of the Advisor. Exemptions from Child Labor Rules in AgricultureComplete Child Labor Exemptions Youth of any age may be employed at any time, in any occupation in agriculture on a farm owned or operated by their parent or person standing in place of their parent. Exemptions from Hazardous Order Prohibitions With the exception of the parental exemption explained above, there are only a few exemptions from the hazardous occupations in agriculture and they apply only to 14- and 15-year-olds. The circumstances where 14- and 15-year-olds may be employed in certain hazardous occupations are:
Employers must keep copies of written agreements and certificates under these programs. |
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