<div class='bc_element' id='bc_element1' style='width:auto;padding:5px;max-height:100%;'><span>By November, the extra work is easy to identify. Orders need packing, customers need help finding products and the checkout line needs another pair of hands. A teenager looking for a first job may seem like a good match for a few afternoon or weekend shifts. The difficulty comes when “help around the store” expands into duties or hours that the employee’s age does not permit. Before advertising the position, define the work and check the age requirements. This guide covers ordinary retail, restaurant and other nonagricultural employment at U.S. small businesses. Federal rules distinguish sharply between employees aged fourteen or fifteen and those aged sixteen or seventeen. State requirements may add further restrictions. <b>Build the Job Around Permitted Duties </b> Write down the actual tasks rather than relying on a title such as “seasonal assistant.” Include equipment used, areas entered and any responsibilities involving deliveries, cleaning or moving merchandise. Review occasional duties as carefully as the main assignment. A prohibited task does not become acceptable because it takes only a few minutes. For fourteen and fifteen year olds, <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/youthrules/young-workers/non-ag-14-15?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">federal rules allow specified jobs</a>, including many cashiering, selling, price marking and shelving duties. They also permit certain office and food service work. Jobs not specifically permitted are prohibited for this age group. Do not assume that any task you consider easy or safe is automatically allowed. Keep the approved description available to supervisors. If an employee is hired to assist customers and package purchases, managers should not casually reassign them to operate equipment or unload a delivery. Check a proposed change before giving the instruction. For an ordinary seasonal role, <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/43-child-labor-non-agriculture?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">fourteen is generally the minimum federal age under the applicable nonagricultural rules</a>, subject to specific exceptions. Family employment and other special arrangements require their own review. <b>Schedule Fourteen and Fifteen Year Olds Around School </b> Under the ordinary federal rules, fourteen and fifteen year olds may work only outside school hours. They are limited to three hours on a school day, eighteen hours in a school week, eight hours on a nonschool day and forty hours in a week when school is not in session. During November and December, permitted work hours are between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The summer extension to 9 p.m. does not apply. That rules out assigning a fifteen year old to a 6 a.m. Black Friday opening or an evening shift ending at 9 p.m. A short shift outside the permitted time remains a problem even if the employee has worked very few hours that week. Include opening preparations and closing duties in the schedule. If work must end by 7 p.m., arrange the handoff early enough for the employee to finish. A scheduled end time does not protect the business when the employee actually continues working afterward. Confirm the relevant school calendar. <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/youthrules/employer-self-assessment?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">Department of Labor guidance</a> explains that, for homeschooled students, private school students and those not attending school, the public school schedule where they live while employed determines the school day or week for these federal restrictions. <b>Do Not Treat Thanksgiving Week as a Full School Break </b> A holiday on Thursday does not automatically make the entire week a nonschool week. The Department of Labor states that school is considered in session during any week in which it meets, even for part of a day or part of the week. The eighteen hour weekly limit therefore still matters during many Thanksgiving schedules. Suppose a fifteen year old attends school Monday through Wednesday. You schedule two hours of work on each of those days, followed by eight hours Friday and eight hours Saturday. The total is twenty two hours, exceeding the ordinary federal school week limit. Friday and Saturday being days off from school does not remove that weekly limit. Review the full workweek before adding a shift. Six hours already scheduled Monday through Wednesday would leave twelve hours available under the eighteen hour federal ceiling, subject to the daily limits and any stricter state rules. Check December break separately when planning later shifts. <b>Review Equipment Restrictions for Everyone Under Eighteen </b> Federal law allows <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/youthrules/young-workers/non-ag-16-17?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">sixteen and seventeen year olds to work unlimited hours in nonhazardous nonagricultural jobs</a>, but state limits may still apply. Federal hazardous occupation restrictions continue until age eighteen. Becoming sixteen does not make every task in a store or kitchen available. <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/child-labor/what-jobs-are-off-limits?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">Power driven meat slicers and many other hazardous machines are prohibited for employees under eighteen</a>. Balers and compactors also carry restrictions. A narrow exception permits certain sixteen and seventeen year olds to load specified equipment under detailed conditions; it does not generally permit them to operate or unload it. For an ordinary holiday role, assign that work to an eligible adult rather than relying on an exception you have not verified. Do not assume that cleaning a restricted machine is an acceptable alternative to operating it. Review the full equipment rule, which may cover setup, adjustment, cleaning or repair. Mark restricted equipment clearly and explain the limits to every shift supervisor. <b>Check Food Preparation and Delivery Tasks Separately </b> Restaurants and bakeries need particular care when writing duties. Fourteen and fifteen year olds may perform certain kitchen tasks, but <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/2a-child-labor-restaurants?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">federal rules prohibit baking and limit cooking to specified activities and equipment</a>. A general instruction to “help in the kitchen” is not sufficient. Identify what the employee will prepare, which appliance they will use and whether cleanup involves hot surfaces or oil. Use the Department of Labor’s restaurant guidance to check each task. Have an eligible adult available when a restricted duty needs completing. Delivery driving requires a separate age and task review. Do not assign a minor to drive holiday orders merely because they hold a driver’s license. <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/34-child-labor-motor-vehicles?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">Federal rules restrict work related driving by employees under eighteen</a>, with only limited exceptions. Verify the specific arrangement before including deliveries in the role. <b>Complete the State Review Before the First Shift </b> <a href="https://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/whd/flsa/cl/background.htm?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">Federal child labor rules do not require work permits, but state law may</a>. States may also impose additional limits on hours, duties, breaks or employment during school periods. Where both laws apply, follow the requirements that provide greater protection. Check the state labor department’s guidance for the employee’s age and job. Complete any required permit or age verification process before work begins. A parent’s approval does not authorize hours or duties prohibited by law. Confirm the applicable wage requirements and use normal payroll and timekeeping procedures. Do not assume a teenager is an independent contractor because the assignment is temporary. Record actual working time and review it against the age limits throughout the season. <b>Give Supervisors a Plan They Can Enforce </b> Brief supervisors on the employee’s approved duties, maximum hours and required finish time. Assign an adult to handle restricted tasks and take over when the teenager’s shift ends. Build that coverage into the schedule rather than expecting a busy manager to improvise. Explain the boundaries to the employee as well. They should know whom to ask before using unfamiliar equipment, how to report a problem and when to stop work. Encourage questions during training and make clear that a coworker’s instruction does not override the approved role. Review the first week’s time records and repeat the check after schedule changes. Seasonal pressure is exactly when small extensions and informal reassignments accumulate. A well defined teenage role gives the business useful support and the employee a sound introduction to working life. <b><i><br></i></b><div><b><i><br></i></b></div><div><b><i><br></i></b></div><div><b><i><br></i></b></div><div><b><i><br></i></b></div><div><b><i>Sources U.S. Department of Labor: <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/43-child-labor-non-agriculture?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">Fact Sheet 43: Child Labor Provisions for Nonagricultural Occupations</a>. U.S. Department of Labor: <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/youthrules/young-workers/non-ag-14-15?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">YouthRules: Nonagricultural Jobs for Ages Fourteen and Fifteen</a>. U.S. Department of Labor: <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/youthrules/young-workers/non-ag-16-17?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">YouthRules: Nonagricultural Jobs for Ages Sixteen and Seventeen</a>. U.S. Department of Labor: <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/youthrules/employer-self-assessment?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">Nonagricultural Employer Self Assessment Tool</a>. U.S. Department of Labor: <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/2a-child-labor-restaurants?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">Fact Sheet 2A: Child Labor Rules for Restaurants and Quick Service Establishments</a>. U.S. Department of Labor: <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/child-labor/what-jobs-are-off-limits?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">What Jobs Are Off Limits for Kids?</a> U.S. Department of Labor: <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/34-child-labor-motor-vehicles?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">Fact Sheet 34: Youth Employment and Driving Automobiles and Trucks</a>. U.S. Department of Labor: <a href="https://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/whd/flsa/cl/background.htm?utm_source=https://open4biz.today">Fair Labor Standards Act: Child Labor Rules Advisor</a></i></b></div><span></div>