Bulletin #11 - Teen Work Hours in CT   11/21/2003

 

Did you know: There are time and hour restrictions for minors (by industry) in CT - and the rules differ from state to state.   We encourage you to examine your own state statutes regarding teenagers and labor.   Specific rules have also been put in place regarding the School to Work program which you may or may not know about.

 

CT State statutes regarding labor and minors are located at http://www.cga.ct.gov/2005/pub/Chap557.htm

The information below is from the CT Department of Labor web page http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/wgwkstnd/minors/permit-restrict.htm

and describes the hours that children who are enrolled, or not enrolled, in a secondary institution may work.

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EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 1998

Persons under 18 years enrolled in and not graduated from a secondary institution.

Restaurants - During school weeks:

·         6 a.m. to 11 p.m. (midnight if school vacation/not prior to a school day/not attending school)

·         6 hours per day/32 hours per week

·         8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Restaurants - During non - school weeks:

·         8 hours per day/48 hours per week

·         6 days per week

Recreational, Amusement, and Theater - During school weeks:

·         6 a.m. to 11 p.m. (midnight if school vacation/not prior to a school day/not attending school)

·         6 hours per day/32 hours per week

·         8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Recreational, Amusement, and Theater - During non-school weeks:

·         8 hours per day/48 hours per week

·         6 days per week

Manufacturing and Mechanical - During school weeks:

·         6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. if school vacation/not prior to a school day/not attending school)

·         6 hours per day/32 hours per week

·         8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Manufacturing and Mechanical - During non-school weeks:

·         8 hours per day/48 hours per week

·         6 days per week

Retail/Mercantile - During school weeks:

·         6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. if school vacation/not prior to a school day/not attending school/ 12:00 midnight in a supermarket, if 3500 square feet, when no school the next day)

·         6 hours per day/32 hours per week

·         8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Retail/Mercantile - During non-school weeks:

·         8 hours per day/48 hours per week

·         6 days per week

Hairdressing, Bowling Alley, Pool Hall, or Photography Gallery - During school weeks:

·         6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

·         6 hours per day/32 hours per week

·         8 hours per day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Hairdressing, Bowling Alley, Pool Hall, or Photography Gallery - During non-school weeks:

·         8 hours per day/48 hours per week

·         6 days per week

Persons under 18 years not enrolled in and not graduated from a secondary institution.

Retail/Mercantile:

·         8 hours per day/48 hours per week

·         6 days per week

Restaurant, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Recreation, Amusement, and Theater:

·         9 hours per day/48 hours per week

·         6 days per week

For all occupations work experience as part of an approved educational plan will not be counted towards permitted hourly limits.

Minimum Wage

Effective Date

$6.40 per hour

January 1, 2001

$6.70 per hour

January 1, 2002

Call (860) 263-6791 with wage questions.

Questions?

The Workplace Standards unit enforces a variety of Connecticut's labor laws including, but not limited to: child labor, drug testing, family & medical leave, personnel files, meal periods, insurance extension, and smoking in the workplace.

Call us at (860) 263-6790 M-F 8:30-4:30 or
Check our Web Site at: http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/gendocs/youth.htm

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We strongly encourage you to check your own State's laws regarding teenagers and permitted work hours and permitted types of employment. Your homeschooled child may be able to work during school hours, and if that is not the case then you can work to change that legislation in your own state.

 

We do not support HR2732 /SB1562 which calls for this wording to be added to the Fair Labor Standards Act:

"SEC. 9. CLARIFICATION OF THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT AS APPLIED TO STUDENTS PRIVATELY EDUCATED AT HOME UNDER STATE LAW.

Subsection (l) of section 3 of the Fair Labor Standards Act (29 U.S.C. 203) is amended by adding at the end the following: ''The Secretary shall extend the hours and periods of permissible employment applicable to employees between the ages of fourteen and sixteen years who are privately educated at a home school (whether the home school is treated as a home school or a private school under State law) beyond such hours and periods applicable to employees between the ages of fourteen and sixteen years who are educated in traditional public schools..''"

 

We do not recommend that the federal government get involved in regulating and setting the hours when homeschoolers can and cannot work. Additional language, regarding homeschoolers, appearing in Federal Law can be risky and can open up the possibility of subsequent legislation of homeschoolers. We do not feel that the risk to homeschoolers' freedom nationwide is worth any homeschool child's ability to work during the day for minimum wage. If your state laws prohibit homeschoolers from working during school hours and you wish that be changed then you should speak to your state legislators regarding that issue. Don't allow the federal government to dictate to all states the times and days that it will be allowable for homeschoolers to work!

 

Attorney Deborah Stevenson - Executive Director of National Home Education Legal Defense. – www.nheld.com or email : info@nheld.com

Judy Aron - Director of Research, NHELD – imjfaron@sbcglobal.net