There are several reasons why a child or a minor might need to work in the U.S., especially in a state like Ohio with a large economy. These could be collecting educational funds, gaining experience and enhancing skills like communication, supporting family or health emergencies, or earning extra income to safeguard their future.
Irrespective of the reasons, while child labor is generally restricted, there are certain allowances in state and federal child labor laws that govern how employers follow child labor rules and restrictions when employing a minor.
For instance, in Ohio, a 14-year-old can legally work—but only under specific conditions and limitations governing factors like working hours and type of job.
Child labor regulations are more than just rules—they protect young workers from exploitation and allow them to balance school and work.
This article explores labor laws for minors in Ohio—age restrictions, jobs off-limits, and several other critical aspects every employer, parent, and teenager in Ohio should know. So, let’s begin!
In the 19th century, much like other states in the United States, Ohio saw a surge in child labor—thanks to industrialization. Establishments like mills, mines, and factories with often dangerous occupations employed children as young as 8 or 9 years old, making them work in harsh conditions for long hours.
This resulted in several public reform movements and outrage, demanding groundwork to change these practices and ensure the safety of children.
Here are some of these movements and key milestones of the Ohio law for minors:
This law restricted children under 14 from working in industries like factories and mines and limited their working hours to 10 hours per day.
This act represented the first federal attempt to regulate child labor, inspiring Ohio to strengthen its own child labor laws. However, this act was overturned within two years.
This law was established nationwide and included conditions like minimum working age and restrictions for minors on hazardous occupations. Ohio adjusted its laws and child labor reforms to align with these federal regulations.
In the 1970s, several amendments were made to Ohio’s labor laws, prioritizing the importance of education with tightened work-hour restrictions for minors during school hours.
Ohio continues to upgrade and revise its child labor reforms to reflect modern industries and work environments.
Let’s learn more about the present-day Ohio law for minors.
Ohio’s current child labor regulations outlined in the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) protect the safety and well-being of minors in Ohio while allowing them to work, earn, and gain valuable experience.
These regulations consist of certain rules and restrictions regarding the minor’s age, working hours, jobs permitted, etc. Let’s take a closer look at these regulations.
The minimum age criteria for minors to work in Ohio is 14 years. However, the law also specifies minimum age requirements for a specific type of occupation. Here’s a breakdown of the same:
Here are some more deemed prohibited hazardous occupations under state and federal law for minors:
Federal law allows employers to pay a training wage or youth minimum wage of $4.25 per hour for young workers under the age of 20 for their initial 90 days of employment.
In addition, employers are required to pay 85% of the state’s minimum wage, which is $8.88 per hour, for full-time high school or college students involved in part-time occupations. Ohio’s current minimum wage is $10.45 per hour.
Minors under the age of 18 are entitled to 30 minutes of rest period after working 5 consecutive hours. No employer is allowed to make a minor work after working for 5 consecutive hours without proper rest.
This break should be uninterrupted and duty-free, allowing minors to have a proper rest period or enough time to eat and fuel their energy.
Ohio imposes strict restrictions on the number of hours minors are allowed to work based on their age groups. Here’s a breakdown of the number of working hours and time spans allowed for minors to work in Ohio based on their ages.
To legally work in Ohio as a minor employee, minors need to share their age certificate, schooling certificate, and work permit, which the school district or superintendent issues.
It’s the employer’s responsibility to retain copies of the minor’s work permits for their employment duration.
There are wage laws for minors that ensure that they get paid fairly—85% of the state’s minimum wage for college and high school students and a youth minimum wage of $4.25 per hour for the initial 90 days of employment.
But, besides wage and payment laws, there are laws governing anti-discrimination and safety measures. These are:
Here are some critical resources minors can refer to and contact in case they observe and experience injustice or discrimination.
Employers must always ensure compliance with child labor regulations to avoid legal fines and penalties, as well as potential business sanctions. The severity of these penalties depends on the harm and infraction to the minor and the frequency and nature of the violation.
Here is the range of penalties businesses may face due to non-compliance:
Ohio employers must employ and ensure best practices when employing minors to avoid these legal penalties and reputational damages, which are:
Child labor is legal in Ohio, given that employers comply with child labor regulations, which include adhering to work hour limitations, age restrictions, and permitted and prohibited occupations.
Staying informed of these laws and keeping up with the regular updates can be challenging for a growing business—making meeting compliance requirements difficult. At Darwinbox, we offer excellent solutions, like a workforce management suite and a compensation suite, to help you efficiently manage your workforce while ensuring smooth business operations and compliance with such complex laws.
Whether you aim to employ minors or not, these solutions can help you manage compensation and payroll for employees, track attendance, and perform other core HR activities with a breeze while ensuring compliance with national and international standards.
Schedule a demo today to learn more.
Children under the age of 18 are considered minors in Ohio, and between the ages of 14 and 18 are legally allowed to work in Ohio.
Minors can work multiple jobs in Ohio, provided their total working hours of all jobs don’t exceed the restrictions set by the state and federal child labor laws.
No, minors in Ohio are restricted from working late hours, especially on school days. While the curfew for 14 to 15-year-olds is 7 p.m. on school days and 9 p.m. on vacations, 16 to 17-year-olds cannot work beyond 11 p.m. on school nights.
Yes, guardian or parental consent is generally mandatory for minors to get a work permit and legally work in Ohio. Schools and superintendents typically grant work permits after checking the minor’s eligibility, type of job, and parental approval.