In today’s post, our blog will conclude our ongoing discussion of what our state’s child labor laws have to say in relation to those 16- and 17-year-olds who have found jobs or are actively searching for them.
Specifically, we’ll explore some of the available exemptions to the state’s hour restrictions.
Hour restrictions – exemptions
To recap, no 16- or 17-year-old is generally allowed to work during school hours and, when school is in session, they must abide by the following conditions:
- No work before 6:30 a.m. or after 11 p.m.
- A maximum of work week of 30 hours
- No more than eight hours of work when the next day is a school day
There are certain conditions, however, in which 16- and 17-year-olds are exempt from these hour requirements, including:
- Minors who are currently married or who have previously been married.
- Minors who have earned their diploma from an accredited high school.
- Minors who have earned a high school equivalency diploma.
- Minors who have served in the military.
- Minors who have enrolled in a work program through their high school.
- Minors who are in possession of a valid waiver
Regarding this last point, Florida law dictates that those minors who believe that mandatory attendance at a K-12 public school is somehow at odds with their best interests may request a partial waiver from their school district allowing them to work.
Those minors who fall outside this classification can seek a partial waiver application from Child Labor Compliance, which reviews and grants these waivers on a case-by-case basis.
Remember discrimination, violations of wage and hour laws, and workers’ compensation retaliation simply cannot be permitted to go unanswered. That’s why it’s so imperative for you to strongly consider speaking with an experienced legal professional — regardless of your age — as soon as possible if you believe that your employment rights have been violated in any manner.