Working time restrictions limit the number of hours a minor can work per day and week. Therefore, naturalized citizens, lawful permanent residents, and refugees can work in Texas without restrictions. 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. Agricultural work covered by Texas` child labor laws includes grain or livestock production; cultivation and cultivation of the soil; the production, cultivation, cultivation and harvesting of agricultural or horticultural products; Dairy industry; and raising livestock, bees, fur animals or poultry. TX Code 51.003 (v) Miners in Texas are subject to wage and hour restrictions.
Generally, the minimum age to work in Texas is 14, except for certain agricultural and entertainment occupations and when the parent is the minor`s employer in a non-hazardous occupation. 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. Please only comment if you have previously worked for this company. No, you do not need a work permit as a 16-year-old worker in Texas. However, parents or guardians may need to allow their 16-year-old child to work. 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. In a state where agriculture remains a major export and a major commodity, Texas law heavily regulates the types of jobs young people can take.
Persons between the ages of 14 and 17 must meet explicit criteria when entering the labour market. Jobs for 14-year-olds and jobs for 15-year-olds are subject to many more restrictions than jobs for 16-year-olds and jobs for 17-year-olds. Labour laws prohibit certain industries, types of equipment and occupations that carry or provide employment for adolescents. 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. Most employers (outside of regulated industries and some collective agreements) in Texas can require mandatory overtime with no limit on the total number of hours worked in a work week, as long as overtime payment rules are followed. In general, while some exceptions may apply in some industries, Texas does not require employers to grant work breaks. This led to a bad public opinion of the union and likely began the chain of events that led Texas to start working on its labor rights laws even before the Taft-Hartley Act (also known as the Labour-Management Relations Act of 1947) went into effect. 16-year-olds have no restrictions on the number of hours they can work in a given week in Texas.
State and federal laws provide different types of restrictions for underage employees. These restrictions concern the type of work that minors can perform, the number of hours they can work on a given day or week, and the hours of the day when they can and cannot work. Texas child labor laws govern youth employment in the state of Texas. These laws determine the age and hours, as well as the type of work they are allowed to perform. In general, speaking children age 13 or younger cannot work in Texas except in certain limited situations. Young people aged 14 and 15 can work in a wider range of occupations, but the number of hours per day and week is considerably limited, especially when school is in session. Young people aged 16 and 17 can work in a wide range of occupations, but not in occupations that have been explicitly considered too dangerous. Details of Texas` child labor laws are discussed below. Amended to harmonize permit requirements for temporary workers, employer definitions, industries and law enforcement In addition to laws requiring labor certifications or age verification for general employment of minors, most states have specific regulations for the employment of minors in agriculture (e.g., , agricultural labour and harvesting) and the entertainment industry (including child actors, models and actors). Under Texas law, certain organizations may be exempt from child labor laws for workers under the age of 18. These businesses include organizations or business entities owned and/or operated by a parent or guardian, nonprofit organizations that fall under state exemption laws, or activities sponsored by elementary or secondary schools.
The state also exempts programs supervised and/or administered by the school with TWC approval. State rehabilitation programs and employment in agriculture when school is not in session are also eligible for exemption. Workers as young as eleven can work as newspaper delivery workers without the responsibility of sales. Accessible Jobs for 14- and 15-Year-Old Kids in Texas Despite the many industry and labor restrictions that Texas` child labor laws allow teens between the ages of fourteen and fifteen to accept, young workers can still find viable employment in several engaging and rewarding professions. Below is a list of jobs you can fill at 14 and jobs you can do at 15 that the State of Texas allows and encourages young applicants to accept: Yes. 16-year-olds can usually work at night. However, 16- and 17-year-old workers should be aware of local curfew laws, which sometimes provide exceptions to employment. For non-exempt employees, a regular rate of pay is paid, which is determined by dividing the salary by the expected normal working time. Employees who are not exempt and who have irregular hours or a standard of more than 40 years have different overtime thresholds. Minors are in some cases subject to alternative minimum wage rates. For the first 90 days of employment, employers can pay miners a minimum wage of $4.25 per hour.
In addition, in the case of apprentices, skilled student workers, and those working under a special DOL license, employers may be allowed to pay minors 85% of the minimum wage. Yes, a 16-year-old is allowed to work after 10 p.m. as long as they abide by local curfew laws. 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. Texas` child labor laws contain provisions specifically for young people working in sales occupations. For more information, visit our Texas Child Labor Laws – Sales Solicitation Occupations page. Texas allows minors 17 and older to work without restrictions on the number of hours worked.