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Where is the child labor law line in a family business?
Listen to this articleAnd what better way to learn than actually working at the business? Especially for teenagers, a part-time job answering phones at their parent’s accounting firm or sweeping the floors at their uncle’s pizza shop not only teaches them the ins and outs of the business, it also builds character and provides some pocket money.
But where is the line when it comes to state and federal child labor laws?
“Is anyone making money off the child’s actions?” asked J. Scott Robinnett, deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, “If so, the law applies and a permit is required.”
The act
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The Pennsylvania Child Labor Act, which was updated in 2012 to mirror federal law, prohibits children from working almost any job unless they are at least 14 years old and have a permit, which is free and issued by the child’s school.
Though few, there are exceptions to the law, said Jennifer Berrier, Robinnett’s executive assistant. Children working on a farm or in domestic service in private homes are exempt. Jobs such as baby sitting and newspaper delivery are, too.
Anthony Bowser, a labor and employment law attorney with Thomas Thomas & Hafer LLP, put it in even simpler terms.
“They’re typically the kinds of things you’d have a neighborhood kid do,” he said.
However, regardless of the industry, there are certain hazardous occupations that children are never allowed to do, such as excavation or operating some types of power equipment, Berrier said.
Even with a permit, there are restrictions on the number of hours a child can work. Generally, a minor is not allowed to work more than six consecutive days, according to the act. Those under 15 can only work between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., or 9 p.m. when school is out. They can only work for three hours during a school day and no more than eight hours otherwise. The child can’t be employed for more than 18 hours during a regular school week.
