OT Employment: Underage? Or Illegal?

[Pebbles49]

In celebration of Labor Day-

After reading another thread, I was wondering the prevalence of a company to hire underage(under 15) employees. What are some penalties that a company suffer for this? Are these companies paying taxes and/or insurance for these employees? Is there a risk factor?

 

[Official OWECheer]

It wouldn't surprise me in areas like waitressing. Working in the back of a restaurant (operating cooking utensils and machines), or using cleaning chemicals probably are jobs/tasks that employers would give to underage kids, just because those place them at greater risk of injury. Like Cheer Dad said, if you are working under the table, you are probably not covered by insurance. If you get hurt and can't cover it, the employer risks being exposed.

 

[CheerBank]

In NY you need to be 14 to legally work, you cannot get working papers otherwise. But those papers are further divided by age regarding what they can and what they can't do at their jobs.

Ages 14 to 17 - New York State Department of Labor

 

[Pebbles49]

I will think that a company will hire an illegal immigrant, who are not minors before hiring underage employees... I think, we have strong laws on the books to protect minors and if I were an employer it will be too much of a headache. The company will need to apply for extra provisions and permits to hire and legally have an underage employee on the grounds... Is it really worth the trouble?

 

[seein_starz]

Here in AZ, you're allowed to work at 15, but it can only be from after school (usually around 2 or 3) to 7 at night. I've been technically working since 14, but I've been working for my mother and I usually only work up to 4 hours a day making $8.50 an hour with no taxes. A lot of people my age around here work at fast food places or like target, and all the companies around us choose to not let the kids still in school to work more than a few hours a night, because they know how stressful it can be to work plus high school.

 

[FTSP]

CP is 15 and works part time. She is not allowed to work weekdays,only weekends, during the school year and no more than 6 hours a day. Not sure if those are state laws or her employers rules with regards to minors.


Excuses any typos [emoji23]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Pebbles49]

Well, a poster in another thread mentioned she has been working since 12 and it is for a company in a high end area. I was just wondering, when a young person earns ~10k, do they or their parents need to file taxes on this amount? Will the IRS get involve?
Secondly, I thought a person under 14 in most states in the US are not able to apply for a work permit, thus cannot apply for legitimate work? Furthermore, the company must file for permits to have a minor on the job site or their exceptions to these laws?...

 

[Cheer Dad]

Well, a poster in another thread mentioned she has been working since 12 and it is for a company in a high end area. I was just wondering, when a young person earns ~10k, do they or their parents need to file taxes on this amount? Will the IRS get involve?
Secondly, I thought a person under 14 in most states in the US are not able to apply for a work permit, thus cannot apply for legitimate work? Furthermore, the company must file for permits to have a minor on the job site or their exceptions to these laws?...

She has only been working for this company 1 year or possibly less since she moved around January


**Don't mind me, just one of the girls here**

 

[SL&AM]

After reading another thread, I was wondering the prevalence of a company to hire underage(under 15) employees. What are some penalties that a company suffer for this? Are these companies paying taxes and/or insurance for these employees? Is there a risk factor?

My husband worked in the back of a restaurant at 13/14 despite being underage. He was paid under the table for dish washing. At 15, he went 'on the books'.

I started my own eBay business when I was 12; it was my job and at times I would make $500 a week other times $20 in a month. It was play money and back before the days of record keeping so it was never official. I got my first real, on the books job, when I was 16 and it was a furniture store.

 

[SheCheers]

In Texas there are really zero child labor laws for 14-15 year olds. They can work 8 hours a day and up to 48 hours a week. The only school day restrictions is not past 10pm on a day preceding a school day. During non school days it's midnight.
My 15 year old was employed at my office all summer and it requires no special paperwork. It was all legit and on the books.

 

[Official OWECheer]

In Texas there are really zero child labor laws for 14-15 year olds. They can work 8 hours a day and up to 48 hours a week. The only school day restrictions is not past 10pm on a day preceding a school day. During non school days it's midnight.
My 15 year old was employed at my office all summer and it requires no special paperwork. It was all legit and on the books.

That sounds awesome!

 

[Keep_Believing]

In Texas there are really zero child labor laws for 14-15 year olds. They can work 8 hours a day and up to 48 hours a week. The only school day restrictions is not past 10pm on a day preceding a school day. During non school days it's midnight.
My 15 year old was employed at my office all summer and it requires no special paperwork. It was all legit and on the books.

There are laws set for all youth 15 and under working in USA. Then states can make specific rules that are stricter if they choose to.

elaws - employment laws assistance for workers and small businesses

When and how many hours can youth work?

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the minimum age for employment in non-agricultural employment is 14. Hours worked by 14- and 15-year-olds are limited to:

• Non-school hours;
• 3 hours in a school day;
• 18 hours in a school week;
• 8 hours on a non-school day;
• 40 hours on a non-school week; and
• hours between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. (except from June 1 through Labor Day, when evening hours are extended to 9 p.m.)

Youth 14 and 15 years old enrolled in an approved Work Experience and Career Exploration Program (WECEP) may be employed for up to 23 hours in school weeks and 3 hours on school days (including during school hours).

The FLSA does not limit the number of hours or times of day for workers 16 years and older.

Many states have enacted child labor laws as well. In situations where both the FLSA child labor provisions and state child labor laws apply, the higher minimum standard must be obeyed.

 

[cheerKT]

I began working at 14 and worked 8:30am - 5 pm a few days a week. Still completely compliant with the laws above. Never more than 8 hours a day, never more than 40 hours a week (it was over the summer), and between the allowed 7am - 7 pm hours. And was of course taxed appropriately....on my $5.75/hr paycheck. HA.

 

[Ashley]

In celebration of Labor Day-

After reading another thread, I was wondering the prevalence of a company to hire underage(under 15) employees. What are some penalties that a company suffer for this? Are these companies paying taxes and/or insurance for these employees? Is there a risk factor?

I worked at a supermarket starting when I was 14. At the time we could only work until 7 or 8 PM and were limited on the hours we could work (possibly more so when school was in session? I don't remember). Different age groups had different colored name tags so we could remember who could do what and needed to clock out by when.

It was legal in MA at the time, but I'm not sure they hire anyone under 16 now. There are still restriction on them in MA - they can only work til 10 for example - but it's not as bad.

 

[Tosh]

I have 5 employees of which 4 are teenagers. I ususally get them through the school. I have given job descriptions and salary to the Guidance counselors and ask for girls from families that need assistance. Everyone is paid minimum wage +. They work 3hrs/day, 3 days a week and 5-12hrs Saturday and Sunday (during the season when I am vending). Three of these girls have been with me for 3 years and this year I only have one returning becasue the rest graduated and moved on. But they gave me recommendations on who they know are looking/need job(s) and will work well. Everyone is paid biweekly with a regular paycheck with taxes, insurance, etc. deducted and I make my IRS 1/4 tax employee conributions......It will be alot easier and way cheaper to pay them under the table, but part of what I do and why I do it is to be a mentor the these young ladies. Two or the girls that graduated last year each received a $1,000 scholarship for college from me....I see these young ladies as part of my family.