Minimum Legal Age to Work in Texas
Therefore, naturalized citizens, lawful permanent residents, and refugees can work in Texas without restrictions. Teens ages 14 and 15 can evaluate products using pricing devices or by hand, and assemble, package and place the products on the shelves. The packaging of food or other goods is allowed, as well as delivery work if it is carried out by bicycle or public transport or on foot. Here`s the full list of approved occupations, according to the Texas Workforce Commission: 16- and 17-year-old workers have fewer restrictions on their work. There are no restrictions on the hours they can work during the school year or summer vacation. 16-year-olds have no restrictions on the number of hours they can work in a given week in Texas. Texas Lone Star State Work Permit Regulations do not impose formal requirements on minors to obtain a work permit. However, the state follows federal law and imposes various restrictions on certain types of industries and professions that workers can accept, including machinery or transportation, that individuals can access. To prove their eligibility to work with otherwise restricted employment, minors must provide employers with identification documents proving the adolescent`s legal age and serving as authorization. Follow the instructions below on how to get a summer work permit. Immigrants with other status must apply for and obtain an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) from the U.S. government before they can work in Texas. Workers between the ages of 14 and 15 are not allowed to use motor mowers or other cutting machines, but they can use vacuum cleaners and floor waxes for cleaning and maintenance work.
In jobs where federal law does not apply, Texas law has other restrictions on hours of work. Employees aged 14 and 15 are allowed to work up to 8 hours per day and up to 48 hours per week. On school days, they can only work between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m., and if school is cancelled, they can work until midnight. In addition to laws requiring professional references or age checks for general employment of minors, most states have special regulations for the employment of minors in agriculture (e.g., farm work and harvesting) and entertainment industries (including child actors, models, and artists). The labour practices of minors aged 14 and 15 are also regulated by federal law. Federal law prohibits people of this age from working during school hours. If the school is in session, they cannot work more than three hours a day or exceed 18 hours a week.
If the school is not in session, they are allowed to work a maximum of eight hours per day and 40 hours per week. For those with irregular working hours, employers must divide the wage by the total number of hours and then pay half the working time for each job over 40 hours. Amended to harmonize permit requirements for temporary workers, employer definitions, industries and enforcement Limit restrictions on working time on the number of hours a minor can work per day and week. In addition, Texas exempts domestic workers (such as babysitters or caregivers) in private homes, those who employ close family members, certain agricultural situations, and certain religious or other nonprofit organizations (such as the Boy Scouts) from state minimum wage rules. Minors of all ages are allowed to work in most family businesses. This may include restaurants or mom-and-pop stores, provided the children work under the direct supervision of a family member. For those who work more than 40 years as a standard, hours over 40 hours are paid at half the hours and normal hours of work, and half is paid for hours above this standard. The child labor laws in Texas and federal level exist to prevent the exploitation of minors for labor and to ensure that education takes precedence over labor. Restrictions on child labor vary by age and may include restrictions on the type of work that can be performed, the maximum number of working hours, and restrictions on late or night work. In addition, minors are not allowed to sign contracts, so an employer may need to obtain permission from a parent or guardian to conduct a background or drug test on underage employees.
Cooking and food preparation are permitted under certain circumstances, including the use of dishwashers, toasters, blenders and coffee grinders. The cleaning of vegetables and fruit, as well as the packaging, sealing, labelling, weighing, evaluation and storage of goods is permitted when carried out in areas physically separated from areas where meat is prepared for sale and outside freezers or meat coolers. These workers also have restrictions on the number of hours they can work. If their employer involves interstate commerce, federal law prohibits this age group from working more than 3 hours per school day or more than 18 hours per week. Workers aged 14 and 15 are only allowed to work between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. during the school year, but between June 1 and Labour Day, they are allowed to work until 9 p.m. The minimum age for admission to employment is, with some exceptions, 14 years. Exceptions to the rule include working for a business owned by the child`s parents or delivering neighborhood newspapers.
A child over the age of 11 may have a paper delivery route. In Texas, state requirements require teens ages 14 and 15 to work no more than eight hours a day or more than 48 hours a week. You cannot work until 5 a.m. or after 10 p.m. on a day before a school day, including summer school sessions. In addition, young people in this age group are not allowed to work after midnight on a day before a school holiday. Today, Texas labor laws protect not only the right to unionize, but also a worker`s right to refuse to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment. These workers have certain restrictions on the type of work they are allowed to do. For example, they cannot work in logging or as garbage collectors.
