Question: I am planning to hire some high school students to work at my business over the summer. Are there any special considerations I need to know when hiring minors?
Answer: Yes. In addition to protection afforded by California’s general wage and hour laws, additional child labor laws apply when employing minors.
Before hiring a minor, the minor’s school must issue a work permit. The minor’s parent or legal guardian and employer must complete the “Statement of Intent to Employ Minor and Request for Work Permit” and provide it to the minor’s school, which then issues the work permit. The permit typically states the maximum number of hours a minor may work in a day and week and the range of hours during the day that a minor may work. There is a difference between the number of hours minors are permitted to work when school is in session compared to when school is not in session over the summer months. Employers should not have a minor perform any work until the work permit is issued. Permits issued during the school year expire five days after the opening of the next school year and must be renewed. Permit requirements do not apply to minors who have graduated from high school.
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