Teens and work
Is it a good idea for your teenager to have a job? On
one hand, part-time work can build character, teach
responsibility, introduce teens to the real world and
help them realize the true value of the designer clothes
and cell phones they "absolutely have to have." Their
earnings can defray the cost of running a car and even
contribute toward the cost of college if that's where
they're heading after high school. On the other hand,
you might want your teens to devote themselves solely to
their schoolwork, sports and other activities that will
help them become better-educated and more well-rounded
adults. To work
or not to work...that is the question Susan and Tom
Price, authors of Is Your Teen Ready for a Job, a series
of articles found at
www.familyeducation.com, point out that working can
give teens confidence, work skills, adult supervision
after school and perhaps improve their grades. They cite
studies that have found that students who work a
moderate amount—no more than 10 to 15 hours a week
during the school year—tend to earn higher grades than
those who don't work at all. However, working longer
hours can lead to problems. A report by the National
Research Council and the Institute of Medicine shows
that students who work more than 15 hours a week during
the school year tend to have lower grades, higher
dropout rates and are less likely to go to college. The
Prices also note that when teens work 20 hours or more a
week during the school year—which about half of U.S.
high school seniors do—they sacrifice sleep and
exercise, spend less time with their families, cut back
on their homework and are more prone to alcohol and
other drug use and abuse. Though summer jobs don't seem
to raise the same concerns as school-year jobs, they do
bring up other questions. Are some jobs better than
others? Are there jobs for teens that might start them
down a career path? Are internships worthwhile?
Helping your teen find the ideal job.
Some jobs should simply be avoided because they pose a
danger. See
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/teenworkers/teenworkers.html
for more details. It's always good if teens can match a
summer job with potential career interests. And if money
isn't the primary reason teens want to work, an unpaid
internship, say at a hospital, could give them
experience that might lead them into a good job in the
future. If your teen is interested in finding part-time
work, there are many resources to tap for ideas. These
include school guidance and placement counselors,
newspaper want-ads and word of mouth. Sometimes simply
letting family friends and local business people know
teens are interested in working is all it takes for them
to find tailor-made work.
Enterprising teens
might also consider advertising their special skills,
such as word processing, gardening or baby-sitting. If
they go this route and decide to try advertising their
services in local venues like convenience stores and
public libraries, make sure they're not revealing
personal information that might put them at risk. For
example, it's best to use generic wording like "Local
teen provides yard work" rather that "Call Jane Smith
for help with yard work."
Know
the laws about working
- The minimum age
for a newspaper carrier is 11 and all carriers
between ages 11 and 18 must have a permit. Newspaper
carriers may not work before 5 a.m. They are also
prohibited from working after 7:00 p.m. or 30
minutes before sunset, whichever is later.
- Twelve- and
13-year-olds can hand-harvest fruits and vegetables
for four hours per week between June 21 and Labor
Day and between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
during the school year on non-school days.
- Fourteen- and
15-year-olds can work for three hours on a school
day and eight hours Saturday, Sunday, and holidays,
up to an 18-hour work week. From June 21 until Labor
Day, they can work between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
- At age 16,
teens can work four hours per day Monday through
Thursday, and eight hours per day Fridays, weekends
or holidays. They can work 28 hours per week,
between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. With parental permission,
they can work until midnight Friday and Saturday.
-
All teens must
obtain working papers from the school district.
Employers must keep this paperwork on file and on
premises. To obtain working papers, teens must have
a parent's written permission to work, proof of age
and a certificate of physical fitness. For more
information, check with the guidance office and/or
link to:
http://www.labor.state.ny.us/workerprotection/laborstandards/
workprot/wphmpg.shtm
- No minor can work
in the construction industry and teens are not
permitted to operate machinery that could prove
dangerous, including trash compactors, mixing
machines, meat cutters, cardboard crushers and
lifting or hoisting machines.
- Teens must be paid
a fair wage. Minimum wage in New York State as of
January 2006 is $6.75 per hour.
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