State of Wisconsin Labor Laws for Teens
Wisconsin labor laws for teens expand on federal regulations in the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. The objective of these laws is to regulate the conditions under which teens may work and to prevent teens from working too many hours. Wisconsin teen labor laws do not address wage requirements. Instead, separate regulations within the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development outline wage requirements for teens in a variety of employment categories.
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Types
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With the exception of employment such as farm labor, domestic work (e.g., babysitting) or working in a business that one or more of the teen's parents owns, the state of Wisconsin does not permit businesses to hire children under the age of 14. Once your child reaches this age, she may seek employment but may not work in certain occupations, such as in an adult bookstore, or perform duties such as working around heavy machinery that Wisconsin Administrative Code DWD 270.12 identifies as hazardous.
Permissions
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Work permits are both a federal and state regulation for Wisconsin teens age 17 or younger. This requirement is in effect not only to establish proof of age but also to ensure your child will not be performing hazardous work, work he is physically unable to perform, as well as to make sure that working is in the best interest of your child. In order for your child to obtain a work permit, his employer must supply a written statement that includes both the duties your child will perform and his work schedule.
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Time Frame
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In most occupations, Wisconsin teen labor laws limit the number of days your child can work to six days a week. Regarding work hours, the laws distinguish between teens aged 14 to 15 and teens aged 16 to 17. During the school year, your 14- or 15-year-old may not work more than three hours a day and 18 hours a week when school is in session. During school vacations, including the summer break, this time extends to eight hours per day and 40 hours per week. If your teen is 16 or 17 years old, she can work five hours per day or 26 hours per week when school is in session and eight hours per day and up to 50 hours a week when she is not attending school. In addition, whenever your teen works six or more hours, an employer must provide a minimum of a 30-minute lunch break.
Considerations
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Because Wisconsin must also comply with federal teen labor laws, when the federal law is more stringent than a Wisconsin law, the federal law takes precedence. For example, if your teen is 14 years of age, according to Wisconsin labor laws, he can work four hours per day on a school day. However, federal laws state that he can only work three hours, so the federal law takes precedence.
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References
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- Photo Credit beautiful teen with cash image by Jaimie Duplass from Fotolia.com
